Thank Freyja
by KageOkami-Kogo
Summary: Now back in her own time, Astrid Hofferson uses the experiences she had during her trip through time to guide her. While her love for Hiccup continues to grow, no longer suppressed as it had been, Astrid fears that this time, things will be different. Does Hiccup feel the same for her this time? And will she catch up to the future she experienced? RTTE. Sequel to Thor Help Her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:** Welcome back! Because _ everybody _asked for it, this is the much anticipated sequel to "Thor Help Her"! And yes it is_ absolutely _necessary to read that one first. Man, do I have plans for this story! I already know how it'll turn out in the end, and let me tell you, I'm extremely excited to share it lol. Quite a few questions will be answered here, including why they kept their relationship a secret, as requested by many._

 _The story itself was inspired by the song "Thousand Miles" by Tove Lo. I know, cheesy, but if you listen to or read the lyrics, you'll see why. This chapter in particular though was influenced by the song "Moondust" by Jaymes Young._

 _ **Warning:** This story is (eventually) _ extremely _sexual in nature, the same way the first story was, but much more of it. Let me be clear, there is a lot of sex in this story, also calling them "lemons" seems too weak lol. Definitely NSFW. Rated for Hiccup "hotcup" and of course Astrid "pervstrid" (because after getting a taste of him she wants more lol)._

* * *

 _I love you, Astrid..._

Astrid Hofferson woke slowly, gazing unseeingly out her window, the long ago words spinning around in her head like they had for almost one solid years since her return. She knew she couldn't dwell, but she couldn't help it... and those words had slowly turned into an almost poison, not releasing her from their grip, making her heart break every time they reminded her of... of what she lost.

It had been one whole year for Astrid, and the longest year she had ever experienced.

Over the course of that long year, Astrid had arrived to the conclusion that love wasn't as fickle as most Viking claimed it to be, at least the ones who didn't sing songs about it. She had thought the impossible feelings that had blossomed in her would have dulled over the length of time, but they didn't... in fact, they got 'worse', to the point where she simply couldn't get Hiccup Haddock off her mind.

Of course, over the course of the year it also made it much easier for Astrid to adapt and finally mold her walls around her heart again. This time though, there was a pretty large gate in those walls, allowing her to easily let her feelings for him free when she deemed it appropriate. Sometimes the gate seemed to have loose hinges though, making her slip many times... But it had become a lot easier to handle, at least.

It was easier to handle, but only when she didn't allow those freshly awakened feelings to suffocate her. Astrid spent her fair share of bitter, lonely nights missing the close bond she had developed with Hiccup... that didn't quite exist. She was terrified, feared with all her life that it simply wouldn't happen, that this time things were different and he wouldn't feel the same for her.

Even so, Astrid refused to let those fears take over her life. She braved through and forced herself to adjust. And now, after a year of struggling, she finally managed to accomplish this.

Still... even with how adapted she was now, Astrid was still surprised by how incredibly _shy_ she still found herself around Hiccup. It was so much worse than it had been before her experience. He could just smile his normal, awkward- though admittedly adorable -smile, and she'd feel butterflies fluttering in her belly.

Whenever he called her milady, which was only during very select times, much less than she'd like actually, it made her feel giddy. He wasn't even trying and she was still swimming with longing for him, missing his arms more than anything else. It was like a gnawing in the back of her mind, and she knew it had absolutely nothing to do with Freyja this time.

She just couldn't seem to relax enough around him!

Maybe it was because her mind and her heart were synchronized with her feelings for him now. Maybe it was because she couldn't tell him how she felt yet. Maybe it was because she knew how much he would grow to love her and worship her body and how much she missed that. Maybe it was a combination of all of those things. Either way, she found she had trouble adjusting to him like she adjusted to being back home.

Even after a year of adventures and misadventures, the outcasts, keeping tabs on Alvin, making sure Dagur was still in prison, and training on their dragons. She was still a mess around him. Despite how much she liked to tease him and make him blush, how on the outside she seemed as collected and natural as she always had, on the inside she was just as bashful and nervous as he was.

Most nights, after a year, she could handle it, but sometimes, she still very much missed being with him, laying against him, surrounded by his warmth. That first night back with him had been a soothing balm to her soul, despite how much it had hurt at the same time. The next morning had been extremely awkward for both of them. They had found themselves tangled in much the same way they had been, in that other life. Hiccup had nearly passed out, thinking she was going to maul him to death. Astrid had been disorientated, startled, and at the same time, a little amused by his fear.

Poor Hiccup had been so confused and worried about her, even when he had thought she was going to kill him that morning. Astrid was so conflicted the only thing she could do was apologize to him profusely, completely confusing him again, but letting him relax and know he wasn't in trouble. After that, Hiccup had stuttered and laughed nervously as he told her she was welcomed back any time.

Of course, as soon as he had said that, he had turned bright red again and stammered over fixing his words, assuring her he meant that he'd have her back. Astrid had given him a look, trying to hide her own bashfulness and amusement, and punched his shoulder, even as her heart had sung with joy at those words. She hadn't gone back after that first night, even though a part of her yearned to do so. It had been a long and lonely year, but every day had been easier and eventually, the year had come and gone and she felt like herself again.

No, she hadn't gone back after that night, even though a part of her had screamed to do so, knowing he wouldn't push her away just made it worse to stop herself. She knew she couldn't. She couldn't do that to him, she couldn't confuse him like that, especially not when she was so confused about who exactly she was missing herself.

So she stayed away.

As much as it hurt, she stayed away.

Hiccup never mentioned it either, but always seemed to stick by her side when she was being quieter than usual. The very fact that he would do that for her was enough to soothe her most of the time. It even helped her adjust, knowing he was there and would be for the foreseeable future. It was a comforting thought. When had Astrid Hofferson's axe-hacking, warrior-training, badass-chick world start revolving around some boy? It was inconceivable... but there it was, the mighty Hofferson femme fatale had turned into a typical _girl_.

Now that she was more of less able to deal with that lingering longing, Astrid was free to focus on the now. Such as, how every couple weeks, Hiccup seemed to go through interesting changes. If she had to force her feelings for him back again, she could at least take the pleasure of watching him grow. While she wasn't taking care of her own business, training, going on drills, putting up with the twins, beating Snotlout up, the usual stuff, she was spending time with her best friend... at least, of the human variety.

They often went on flights together, laughed and joked. Hiccup was still extremely insecure and shy, but when he got going, his sarcasm and humor had her in stitches. It was always innocent fun between them, and for now Astrid was completely content with that. Of course, it didn't mean her mind wouldn't wander on occasion. And now with those changes he was going through, her mind was wandering a lot more often.

It had come to a great and pleasant surprise when she had actually taken notice one day of how different Hiccup looked, since last year at least. Maybe it was because she had been so focused on getting herself back together, focused on chores, adventures, general life back at Berk, to actually notice. But one day, when he was droning on about some sort of invention he wanted to try, some kind of mechanism to store Gobber's arm extensions, she had taken a closer look at him and notices the changes.

Hiccup was growing up, figuratively and literally.

Astrid was happy to see that the seventeen year old Hiccup was finally starting to look a lot like the man that had shown her his love for her so passionately. Not quite there yet, but Astrid could see it. He was already slightly taller than her and his hair was starting to look crazy... needing a hair cut desperately actually, though he still mostly had a round, soft face. He was starting to look hot, but at the same time still adorable. It was a confusing, though at the same time very nice, combination. Most of the time things were calm on Berk, and Astrid could take moments like those to admire him a little... but sometimes... sometimes things weren't so peaceful.

One such time, was when the six riders had been in the middle of a lesson in stealth and ambush. They were about to do drills on the element of surprise, one of Hiccup's favorite tactics, when Gobber showed up and announced that their unofficial leader was needed at the Great Hall. The five of them were left wondering what was going on. Normally, at their age, they weren't allowed to attend council meetings, but maybe Hiccup was the exception. He was both the leader of the main defenders of Berk, and the Chief's son. When he returned then with a mission, they had all gathered their dragons quickly.

Hiccup was in tactician mode when he spoke to them next. "Alright gang, we got a carrier pigeon today from Johann. He was attacked by what he claims were bandits. His ship is a wreck so we have to go and rescue him before eels get him first," he explained.

"Eels... you know our dragons won't like this..?" Fishlegs cringed.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes, I know, but we have no choice." Toothless crooned in protest. "Sorry bud, we can't let Johann fall to their jaws, you know that..." Toothless groaned but didn't object anymore, snorting to the other dragons to get their own act together. Hookfang's head hung slightly.

"Do we _have_ to rescue him? He's _so_ annoying..." Snotlout complained.

" _You're_ annoying too, but we still put up with _you_ ," Astrid quipped back. "We're going, so you better get used to the idea." Snotlout scowled and crossed his arms, but didn't say any more.

"Any more complaints?" Hiccup raised a brow.

"Yeah, I got one, why can't they just send ships?" Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup blinked in surprise. "That's actually a smart question," he murmured in disbelief. "Anyway, yeah no, we can't do that, there's no way they'll make it to him on time! Okay, come on, we need to go _now_. Move out!"

They flew out with various degrees of eagerness, though mostly eagerness to get in and get out as quickly as possible. As they neared the wreckage, they could see big green and black eels circling. The dragons all jerked at the reigns, groaning and crooning in protest. They each tried to placate them, even bribe them, but eventually the riders convinced their dragons to swoop in. Toothless grabbed Johann by his claws, then tossed him up so he'd fall on his back. Johann was out of it at least, so they didn't have to worry about him talking so much for now.

"Tuff, Ruff, and Snotlout, get Barf, Belch, and Hookfang to tow the remainder of the ship. Fishlegs, make sure the lines don't snap. Astrid, make sure we're not trailing behind eels. Take care of them if we are. Let's go," Hiccup said, directing them to their tasks. Soon enough they were moving off from the eel infested waters and both the dragons and their riders breathed a sigh of relief.

Once they got back to Berk, Johann had already woken up. "And then when I spent time with Persians, I had the pleasure of trying something called Sherbet! It was a delicious type of ice cream, without the cream! At least, I'm fairly certain they don't have Yaks, or cattle." Hiccup sighed from his seat, trying to ignore the older man's prattling and Astrid's amused smirk at him. Finally they touched down and Hiccup had very happily delivered Johann to his father to deal with. Johann had told the council that he had seen the bandits heading off the opposite direction, so he was fairly certain they wouldn't be a threat. When nothing happened after a week, they all relaxed.

It had been six months since then now. Astrid found herself at the docks, the only one out of the five of them that was actually eager to see Hiccup. He had been out with his dad on a fishing and hunting trip for two months, and those two months had been an agony for her. Not that she could actually let anyone in on her innermost feelings over it. But now they were back and she was excited to see her best friend. "Welcome back!" she greeted excitedly, not having seen the chief or his _son_ for about... too long.

"Thank you, Astrid! It's good to be back," Stoick greeted her amiably, hauling his basket over his shoulder. The trip hadn't been just for fishing and hunting of course, and Astrid could see by Hiccup's sour expression that it probably had to do with a bit of father son bonding and responsibility planning. Knowing Stoick, it was probably more painful and exasperating to him than anything else. Ever since Hiccup had taken down the Red Death and got the Academy in order, Stoick had decided he had what it took to be his true heir after all and wanted to try and make a Viking out of him.

As he got closer from the docks, Astrid felt her heart begin to thrum in her chest. Lords almighty, how could he have grown so much in just two months? Hiccup had gone through another stage in his development, his shoulders were a little broader, chest a little stretched, his tunic just _barely_ fit him now... making it actually extremely enticing to look at. And gods, his hands were huge, compared to the rest of him. He was still a little lanky, but at least he didn't look so much like a fishbone anymore. His words, not hers.

As they walked up to the town center, Astrid noted that it wasn't just his appearance that had changed. Maybe the trip with his father had done more good to him than he was currently complaining about. He seemed to hold himself straighter, no longer slouching so much. His chin wasn't perpetually stuck to his chest anymore, held up high. His now longer legs strode with a purposeful gait, no longer skittering about or clumsily meandering. He was starting to have the body language of a man, and it set her heart racing again.

A few days later, during a particularly nasty thunderstorm, in which many of the Vikings worried over it being a bad omen, the riders were tasked in getting the frightened animals to the barn. Unfortunately, one of the Yaks had been having an attitude the whole day. Hiccup had been the brave one to try and wrangle her on foot, but she reared up on him and tried to kick him. Hiccup jumped out of the way, twisting hard as he rolled. Something no one expected happened then, least of all him. His already too tight vest tore apart with the harsh movement.

It was an interesting sight to be sure. It was one thing for his chest to stretch his clothes very nicely, it was quite another for his clothes to just... rip apart like that. "I think you look... uh, better without it..." Astrid had assured him, grinning mysteriously, after he stood staring at shredded pieces of his beloved vest. Hiccup blushed deeply at her words. He hadn't been sure what she was getting at, but had shrugged, having given up understanding her already anyway. Astrid hadn't been sure if it was because of what she said or because he had grown out of them, but he hadn't bothered designing another leather vest since then. She had to wonder, was this when he finally began developing his armor?

The storm had whipped up a cold fog over the fjord and had masked the approaching ships. Perhaps it had been an omen after all, because not two days later the men on the watch towers spotted sails with fierce crests on them. Stoick had rounded up the riders after that. "We've spotted those bandits Johann had spoken of before. It seems they have circled back and found Berk. I want the six of you out there. Make them wish they never found us," he ordered them. He wished fervently that he still had Thornado to help, but he trusted that Hiccup knew what he was doing by now. He gave them the report his men had given him and watched his son take charge.

"Hiccup?" Astrid queried, watching the wheels turn in his face.

Hiccup turned to the group and regarded them as he thought up a plan. "Okay, this is what we'll do. There are five longboats, which means one for each and one of us to swoop in and give cover fire," he began.

Hiccup turned to Astrid. "Astrid you'll be on cover fire duty. Make sure to have Stormfly use spineshots to distract range weapon users."

"Right," Astrid nodded readily.

He turned to Snotlout then. "Fly in low with Hookfang and burn the deck of the ships, to scare them off. Don't destroy their ships, we want them out of our shores."

Snotlout nodded with a wicked grin. "Raining down fear, I can do that!" he rubbed his hands together with excitement.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and turned to the twins. "Ruff, Tuff, you guys confuse them, move between the ships, draw their fire away, but don't let Barf and Belch fire directly on them, it'll cause too much damage."

"Aww, come on... that's no fun," the twins groaned at the same time.

"Guys, please," Hiccup sighed, then directed his attention to the remaining member. "Fishlegs, use Meatlug's weight to rock their boats."

"Whoa now, I thought they were our enemies, not our lovers!" Tuffnut snickered.

"Well, bro, who knows, maybe there are some attractive bandits on those ships," Ruffnut commented thoughtfully.

"Hmm, yes, you may be right, sis," Tuffnut tapped his chin.

"Tuff, Ruff... _please_..." Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fishlegs, keep the rest of the men occupied with the disorientation. Everyone alternate between ships so they don't adapt to one dragon and form of attack. I'll handle herding them away. Everyone know their part?" He received various replies then. "Alright gang, move out!" They followed his lead without question, taking off with their eager dragons.

Stoick stood there with a thoughtful look in his eye. Gobber walked up to him and nudged his arm. "Who knew that boy would grow up to be a pretty fantastic Viking and tactician, eh Stoick?" Stoick merely grinned and nodded, swelling with fatherly pride. It seemed like that hunting trip had done wonders for the boy!

Astrid clenched her reigns tight, focused on her task. The rush of wind cloaked over her as she and Stormfly bore down into the Fjord with the other riders. Rain shot past her face, almost biting into her angrily as she urged Stormfly on faster. The six dragons growled almost in unison, baring their teeth at the enemy in their sights, talons drawn, maws with sharp teeth ready to bring terror to their souls.

"You know your roles!" Hiccup shouted over the pounding in their hearts, over the roar of the wind, over the blood rushing in their ears. They were Vikings, battle was in their very veins. They swept in using V formation with Hiccup leading the charge, a snarl of determination on his face. The bandits shot at them, crossbow bolts flying through the air, flaming arrows whizzing by them. "Flaming arrows! Snotlout, Astrid, return the greeting!" Hiccup called.

Astrid had Stormfly sweep backward, waiting for Hookfang to shoot a blaze of inferno in front of her. "Now, Stormfly!" she called and the Nadder let her spines fly, fire whipping around them as they rushed toward their target. Angry and frightened screams sounded from the ships below.

"They're distracted, get in position!" Hiccup yelled. The riders swept back in, blinking away the sting from the rain as they bore down on the invaders. They swarmed them, rushing to do their assigned tasks, disorientating and scaring the bandits with spectacular results. Hiccup's sharp eyes caught Fishlegs and Meatlug struggling with a fishing net over them. "Snotlout, help Fishlegs!" he called, dodging a barrage of attacks from the heavily armed men.

Snotlout rushed in with a grunt of annoyance, though he and Hookfang had been too busy moving out of the way of their own attackers to notice the twins barreling toward them at high speed. They collided in the air, with Barf and Belch getting tangled around Hookfang's own long neck. "Get your stupid dragon off!" Snotlout shouted.

"You're the one that got in _our_ way!" Ruffnut snapped. "If you weren't so useless you'd know where to go," she smirked.

Hiccup pulled at Toothless to get him to rear back. "Guys! Get out of the way! Get back to your positions! You're too out in the open!" he cried, glancing worriedly over to Fishlegs and Meatlug, but could do nothing while he was being fired on so viciously.

The argument went on however, Snotlout unable to get past the direct jab at him. "Did not! It was your ditzy half-brained dragon!" he shot back, earning a snort and glare from Barf. "Just stand by and let the Snot take care of the action! I've got this!"

"Guys... arrows!" Tuffnut cringed. They didn't seem to hear him. " _Guys_!"

"Get out of the way!" Hiccup roared at them, but they seemed stuck in their positions, dragons tangled and snapping at each other just as their riders did.

"Oh Thor!" Snotlout gasped. "Get off, get off!" he yanked on Hookfang's horns, who cried in both pain and irritation, smacking him across the head as he tried to disentagle himself from the other dragon. "Shit!" the arrows were right on them.

Just then Astrid swooped in and hacked the arrows apart with her axe. Astrid turned on them furiously, astonished that they would choose to act so juvenile at a time like this. Though honestly it probably shouldn't have come to such a surprise. Even back when she was stranded in the future, she had been technically three years younger than them, and still more mature. "Get your _act together_! Do you _want_ to get each other killed?!" she snarled at them furiously, before rushing over to help Fishlegs and Meatlug before they were gutted, seeing them being beaten where they were trapped on one of the ships.

Hiccup sighed in relief, knowing he could count on her. He glared at his other team mates. "Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, _get back_ to your tasks!" he ordered.

Snotlout finally managed to pry himself free and angrily had Hookfang shove at them, yanking his horns to get him to move where he wanted. "Ha! That's what you get!" he sneered. Hookfang snarled and whacked him again. "Okay, fine!" he huffed, then jerked back to the twins when he heard Ruffnut scream. To his horror, he saw her plummeting straight toward one of the ships below, crashing into the water next to it. "...Oh..." he gasped.

"Ruffnut!" cried Hiccup and Astrid in shock, watching horrified as the men threw a net over her and reeled her in.

"Ruff!" Tuffnut cried, trying to reach her, but she was already dragged onto the ship.

The bandits grabbed her and threatened her with their weapons, some of them making lewd gestures. Ruffnut snarled at them and slammed her foot on the one holding her, making him yelp and let her go. One of the men in front of her growled angrily and thrust his sword at her. Ruffnut dodged it just on time, but... she wasn't able to move fast enough, feeling the cold iron slice into her side, making her screech and flinch away, right into the paws of the other bandits there who threatened to make her pay for the resistance.

" _Ruff_!" Tuffnut roared again, urging Barf and Belch faster. They reached them then and stomped onto the deck of the ship. In a blazing fury, Tuffnut charged with the two-headed dragon, snarling at them and setting the deck ablaze. "Unhand my sister!" he roared, brutally knocking the bandits overboard. He quickly snatched up his sister, letting her weakened form rest over his lap as he rose back up with Barf and Belch. "Get us away, boys!" he ordered his dragon, who obeyed without question.

Hiccup stared in frozen shock at everything around him.

It was going so wrong!

Nearly all of them had almost met their end in one way or another!

In a rage, Hiccup shouted to his remaining comrades. "Don't let up! Increase your attacks! _Snotlout_ , rain fire on them. Astrid, I don't care where Stormfly fires her spines, just _get them out of here_!" he howled.

They swept back in, the remaining dragons using every attack available to them. It seemed like hours had gone by, but finally, _finally_ the enemy was on the retreat. They kept firing though, the dragons grabbing the men and lifting them up, dropping them back onto the ships unconscious, shredding at their armor, slashing at their weapons, scaring them to their core.

When the bandits were far enough away, Hiccup ordered them back to Berk. They flew in complete silence, except for Ruffnut's occasional pained whimpers and Fishleg's groans as he rested on Meatlug, his sides where he had been kicked aching too much for him to move, most likely from cracked ribs. No one said a word, wary of Hiccup who's furious expression had yet to leave him.

When they got back, Stoick greeted them. "You're back! Did you take care of-" he was cut off in shock when his son, like a smoking volcano, blew his top.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup raged, turning on his cousin with outrage contorting his face. " _How_ could you be so _reckless_! How could you be so _careless_! What were you _thinking_? Wait, what am I _saying_ , of course you weren't _thinking_!" he threw his arms in the air, leaning in toward his cousin threateningly, unaware of how much the other teen shrunk away.

"What kind of _irresponsible_ , overbearing _asshole_ are you? You nearly cost two of your teammates- your _friends_ their _lives_! They almost _died_ because of your stupid need to show off! For once in your life stop worrying over _gods damn pride_ and _do as you're told_!" he snarled at him. Snotlout stared in absolute shock, his head ducking the more his cousin ripped into him, biting his lip to hide his whimper.

By the time Hiccup had finished shouting at him at the top of his lungs, he stood there panting, face red, shoulders shaking. When he realized what he'd done, and how quiet it was all around him, he took notice of all the faces around him, wide-eyed and startled, disbelieving that he'd be so ruthless in reprimanding someone, most of all the one who had always picked on him the most.

"I... I... I'm... s-sorry..." Snotlout whispered, wishing the ground would open up wide and drag him away, feeling a sting in his eyes and a tearing in his heart.

Hiccup stared in shock, not able to believe what he had just done, not able to believe he had snapped like that. Seeing the stricken look in his cousin's face, the red-rimmed eyes where he tried to keep himself from crying, tore him apart. "I... I..." he gasped, emotions conflicting, warring inside him. "I... need to go," he turned sharply on his prosthetic and left without another word. Toothless crooned worriedly, casting an almost apologetic look to the rest of them, and bounded after him.

There was still a great sense of heaviness in the air, silence and tension as thick as the slimes of a swamp. Snotlout sniffled slightly and his team turned to him incredulously. "I... I just... the battle worked me up, okay? It's... I'm not... -come on, Hookfang!" he clambered aboard his dragon, who mercifully flew them away. They all knew what had really happened, how hard he had taken the blow from his cousin, how much guilt he felt, it was too much for him, he hadn't even been able to fully form his excuse.

Tuffnut held his sister close, who at this point was trailing blood from her side. "I'm taking Ruff to Gothi," he announced mutely and gently guided her away.

Stoick stared in the direction of where his son had stormed out in frozen shock. No one had ever seen him snap like that, so viciously. He had been so passionate about his worry over his team mates and so angry over nearly losing a battle. Maybe there was a warrior within him than he originally thought, after all. Without another word, Stoick left for the Great Hall to think, needing to reevaluate what he had always thought of his son.

Fishlegs muttered he'd go see Gothi as well, relying on Meatlug to help him walk out. Astrid stood there, just as muted in astonishment as the rest of them. She knew he had passion deep inside him, she had even been in battles with him before, but she had never seen him rage like that before. Frowning with a twisting conflict of sadness and concern toward him, she longed to try and ease him, but she knew he needed time to process everything that happened. So she stayed away.

That night, however, Astrid wasn't able to keep away, couldn't leave him to brood and kick himself all night, knowing he was hurting. Unable to stop herself, for the second time in a year, she found herself sneaking into his house in the dead of night, past his sleeping father, and up to his loft. She found him sitting at the edge of his bed, ignoring the incessant croons and worried warbles from Toothless. The dragon spotted her then and walked over, nudging her, his eyes pleading. Astrid rubbed his cheek reassuringly and nodded, heading toward her best friend.

Hiccup barely reacted to her presence, staring at the floorboard blankly. Astrid frowned in concern and placed her arm around his shoulder. When he still didn't react, she nudged him down until he was laying on his bed and laid by his side, her arms around him. "Hiccup," she said softly, trying to pull him out of his gloom.

"A-Astrid?" his eyes widened, finally recognizing her. "Wha-What are y-you doing here..?" he asked, finally noticing that she was actually there with him. Shocked and nervous were word too weak to describe what Hiccup was currently feeling.

"I was worried about you. I knew you'd be in the state you're currently in..." she answered softly, trying to ignore how what she was currently doing made her feel, made her heart race. Now was not the time to think of her own feelings though. "You comforted me once, let me do the same for you," she whispered against his shoulder, hiding her face.

Hiccup relaxed and nodded silently, letting her hold him. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke, his words broken and woeful. "I nearly got my friends killed..." he whispered.

Astrid frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she mumbled in question against him, struggling to not fall asleep on him. "It was Snotlout's carelessness."

Hiccup shook his head. "No. It was my decision to send Snotlout out like that. I knew the twins were nearby but I didn't think about that. I knew they would be unpredictable, and I knew Snotlout would let his emotions get to him. I did this. I had led them and caused everything to go so wrong..." he said, shivering in her embrace.

Astrid bit her lip, twisted up, her heart aching with how much he bore all of the responsibility over his shoulders. "Hiccup. You can't take on every bit of the responsibility. They have just as much blame. They were the ones who made the decision to act like morons. That wasn't your fault. You directed the fight as best as you could. And for what it's worth, we won in the end without casualties. No one died and we made sure Berk was safe. You earned the respect of everyone today, including ther chief. So please, stop being so hard on yourself. You're a fantastic Viking, Hiccup, no matter what you might think, but you're still not perfect."

Hiccup felt his heart swim with emotion at her words, conflicted by them at the same time. "I... have to be hard on myself... I have to prove myself," he admitted quietly.

Astrid's hold on him tightened, hurting that he still thought he had to prove himself, to beat himself up, still thinking he was useless. "If it makes any difference at all, you've proven yourself to me at least, a hundred fold," she told him with a smile.

Hiccup smiled back weakly, relaxing a little more. "Thanks, Astrid..." he murmured. "I'm lucky to have you..." when Astrid's eyes widened at his words, he realized what he said. "I uh... I mean, you know... as a friend..." he stuttered with a deep blush.

Astrid swallowed the emotions that got lodged in her throat at his words and smiled weakly, feeling the familiar and all consuming love for him rush through her before she could cage it back up. "A-Any time..." she told him shakily. They were silent once more, but this time there was an odd sort of tension that weighed the air down around them. Feeling like things were getting too awkward, Astrid made to get up.

"W-Wait..." Hiccup whispered, catching her wrist. "Please... stay..?" he asked softly, trying not to blush too hard at the clumsy request.

Astrid fought to keep the whimper from escaping her, overwhelmed again by his words. Taking a breath to calm down, she slipped back onto the bed and very happily and a little guiltily let him pull her close to him. Neither of them knew how the other inwardly sighed blissfully. They fell asleep then, both of them lost to the warmth and peace they found in each others arms. They did not wake until the rooster crowed early in the morning the next day. After a great deal of awkwardness between them, much like it had been the first time, a year ago, they separated before they were discovered by Stoick, and probably teased relentlessly.

A week later, after Hiccup had finally calmed down and the entire village stopped giving him such a wide berth whenever he walked by and such wary looks, Astrid found herself, as usual, watching Hiccup work. It had finally settled down after that and thankfully they hadn't heard another word of bandits. Neither of them spoke about that night, much like the last time, though they both thought of it, often. As they got older, it was beginning to get difficult not to think of those things, especially when hormones got the better of them.

As Astrid sat on _her_ table, she let her eyes follow his movements with interest. By now he was a little used to her presence there, though it didn't stop him from blushing and making the occasional mistake. Astrid still found it amazing how her mere presence could affect him so strongly... funny how things had a way of turning around. As she sat there, toying with one of the many half constructed weapons on the table, she noticed Hiccup fitfully brush away hair from his face, _again._ It had been happening a lot more lately. "Hiccup? Are you under there?"

Hiccup had just finished an order for Mulch, a basic shear, which he would be picking up later that evening. Setting his tools down he turned to regard her. "What do you mean?" he asked with a curious frown, swiping at his bangs for the hundredth time that day.

Astrid watched his hair flop right back over his eyes. "Your hair is getting a little long. I can barely see your face anymore," she explained.

Hiccup glanced up at his bushy bangs. "Oh," he laughed nervously. "I'll just tie it up," he shrugged awkwardly.

"Well, I don't know," Astrid pursed her lips in thought. "Shorter looks kind of... well, _nice_ on you," she told him, feeling slightly bashful for admitting it.

"R-Really?" Hiccup stuttered nervously, unable to keep his blush from his cheeks.

Astrid smiled and gave him a nod. "Here, let me help you!" she grinned, brandishing her newly sharpened axe.

Hiccup jerked back from her in surprise and a little bit wary of her intentions. Not that she'd ever seriously maim him... right? "Wha-wha-with your _axe_?" The seventeen year old viking gaped incredulously at her, feeling more like a fifteen year old in her presence again.

Astrid gave him a tolerant look and crossed her arms. "Hiccup," she began, her axe dangling haphazardly from her grip. "Do you trust me?"

It didn't take more than two seconds for him to respond, which made her feel annoyingly giddy. "Yes, yes I do," he sighed and sat down over in one of the chairs at the forge, giving her his back and letting her hack away at his hair. Fortunately, Gobber had stepped out and the orders were very slow that day.

Astrid took a breath to calm down. She could do this. She was a master with her axe... even though that meant she was a master at tearing things apart with it. Nah, it would be fine! Settling behind him, where she though would be the best place to start, she tried not to notice how much bigger Hiccup had gotten in just six months and concentrated on her work.

As she began gently and very carefully cutting off pieces of his hair with her razor sharp blade, her hands skimmed over his shoulders a moment to get him to sit still. She had to actually resist biting her lip from how nice they were beginning to feel under her touch. Focus! Astrid batted away the distracting thoughts and went back to work. When his hair was at a more manageable length in the back, she stepped over in front of him.

Unable to handle the silence for too much longer, Astrid decided to ask him what had been rolling around in her head for a bit now. "So... did you talk to Snotlout lately?" not that she actually really cared a whole lot about that overbearing pig, but she was curious to know how the dynamic between them was now.

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yes... I have. He got over being yelled at pretty quick," he rolled his eyes. "But... he seemed... I don't know, _wary_ of me since then. He doesn't really pick on me quite as much, or at least, not in the same way," he explained with a mild bit of confusion.

Astrid was quiet for a bit, absorbing this interesting bit of information. "I'm glad," she said honestly.

Hiccup glanced up at her in a guilty bit of disbelief. "You are..?" he asked cautiously, watching pieces of his hair float to the floor around him.

The axe-wielder rolled her own eyes. "Of course I am, _mutton-head_." she teased softly. "Why wouldn't I be? I think it's about time you started getting the respect you deserve..." she told him, smiling a little when he blushed again.

Hiccup's eyes seemed to shimmer at that. "You really think so?" he asked, his tone one of wonderment, as though he was amazed she would think of him in that way.

Astrid's eyes softened. "Yes, I do."

Hiccup smiled and glanced back down. "...Maybe, maybe you're right..." he reluctantly agreed.

Astrid frowned slightly, not liking that he was still so insecure of himself. "You know," she began, hoping she could both pull this off without sounding like a stuttering fool and give him a boost in the right direction. "Confidence... is a sexy thing..." she said softly. "You'd... benefit from it..." she bit her lip, trying not to remember just how much _benefit_ his confidence would bring him in the future. She was still wielding an axe, very closely to his face, after all! She had to concentrate!

Hiccup flushed deeply once again, wondering why she was bringing that up. But then again... maybe if he was more confident, she'd... maybe... want to go out with him? That was a possibility, right? They were friends? She didn't seem to dislike him, so..? It certainly sounded fantastic. Confidence, he could work on it... right? "I'll uh... I'll k-keep that in mind..." he muttered, glad she was concentrated on his hair and not how awkward it was.

After a few more minutes, she felt satisfied with her handiwork and with the fact that she could now clearly see his irritatingly attractive face. With surprise, she realized his hair was now basically identical to the way it had been on his counterpart in her trip to the future. Had she really..? No, it had to be coincidence. For all she knew he had done it to himself the first time around with his dagger. Astrid wasn't sure how long his counterpart and her own had been _together_ , so who knows how it happened? In any case, it was done now. "There... I-um, I think I... did a pretty good job! You're looking- ah... good... you know, for a dork," she murmured shyly and punched his shoulder lightly.

"Gee, _thanks_ ," Hiccup said sarcastically, huffing in fake offense, moving to get up.

Astrid had another idea. She had thought of this for a while now and decided she had had a hand in it the whole time, probably more so than the actual hair cut, since she was fairly certain he wouldn't bother learning how to do it himself. "Wait, come back. Hold on, hold still," she said, pulling on his shoulder, surprised by the amount of strength she had to use to get him to sit back down.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, letting her sit him before her again and turning to look at her.

Astrid tried to get him to look forward again but Hiccup was being fidgety again. "I just... want to try- something- Hiccup, _hold still_!" she gave his newly shortened hair a sharp tug.

"Gah! You don't have to yank!" Hiccup protested, but held still. After a moment he noticed what she was doing to his hair and up went his brow again. "... Are you... braiding my hair..?"

Astrid smirked at his incredulous tone. "All Vikings have some form of braid, whether it's in their beard or their hair... since you don't have much of a _beard_ , I thought you'd look... good-" she cleared her throat and was infinitely glad he wasn't facing her to see her blush now. Gods, and that word wasn't even the right word to describe him! And he wasn't even at that level yet! She couldn't let him know though, not _yet._

Hiccup squirmed a little in his seat. "Hey! Not having a beard is a _choice_ , you know," he answered before she could go on, giving her no indication he picked up on her lately utterly distracting views of him.

Astrid inwardly sighed in relief, rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. " _Right_ , you keep telling yourself that, Haddock," she murmured fondly. It took a fair bit longer to carefully braid in two bits just behind his right ear, just like she remembered, but she felt very satisfied when she was done. "There, I finished!" she grinned triumphantly, stepping back to admire him- or rather her _work_.

"So? How do I look?" Hiccup turned then and smiled at her, his lips tilting up, teeth peeking and blazing green eyes shining. For the thousandth time that year, though most likely more if she counted her experience, Astrid had to tame her wildly thrashing heart. That damn smile, coupled with his rapidly developing striking features framed by his new haircut and the flattering braids. Oh, oh she was supposed to be trying to _resist_ her feelings, or at least not let him know about them so soon! Though, wait, why was she doing that again? In any case, she just made it infinitely more difficult for herself. "You don't like it..." It was more of a statement and his smile dropped.

Astrid then realized she had been staring at him, probably with a wide-eyed surprised look. Damn it. Snapping out of it, she flushed in embarrassment. "What? No! I mean I do! Really! You look..." she trailed off in frustration, turning her head, her blush darkening again. If she kept this up her cover would be blown. The irritating little Viking didn't even know how well he was growing up, or how much of a knock-out he would be in just a few years, probably sooner. So, when words failed, Astrid fell back to what she knew best.

"What-? -Agh!" Hiccup jumped in both surprise and pain as she struck his arm hard, the familiar and sharp jolt of pain surging up his arm. "Wha-why would you- what was that for?" he asked indignantly, resisting the urge to rub his arm. Hiccup knew she had hit him with the same force she would usually hit him, and really it did hurt quite a bit,but not as much as it had in the past... huh, maybe he was getting used to her punches? Or maybe he was finally getting stronger?

"Nothing," Astrid said, getting up and brushing her clothes. She turned from him, not able to hold his gaze, at least not until she _relaxed._ "Don't take it off, okay?" she took a breath to calm down. "It looks good on you, Hiccup," she finally admitted in a soft tone, still not looking at him, before walking off.

Hiccup's next words made her pause in her retreating steps, however. "Thank you, milady..." he said in the usual gentle and knowing tone.

Astrid flushed deeply all over again and was glad he was not looking at her. Damn him and his ability to make her feel so girly and giddy. Why did his words always have to affect her so? Even now. Waving it off, refusing to look at his frustratingly increasingly handsome face, she went on. And to her delight and _frustration_ , Hiccup hadn't unbraided it since then.

Just a few months later, Astrid was looking to get in some training after a hard day of chores around Berk, when she was surprised by an interesting sight. She found Snotlout with Hiccup over at one of the training grounds. Snotlout was actually showing Hiccup how to use a blade properly, not tormenting or picking on him, but instructing him. Was Ragnarok coming? Astrid stood back and watched, not wanting to disrupt the fledgling bond between them. Snotlout was still gruff and irritated with him whenever he would messed up, throwing his arms in the air, but he stuck by and showed him how to do it. This was a far cry from how it had been just last year.

Surprisingly, ...though maybe it shouldn't have been so much with how much Hiccup was growing in leaps and bounds lately, the one-legged Viking was able to grip the blade rather well, no longer being weighed down by it. When Snotlout tried to show him how a 'master' did it, Hiccup stood his ground and tried it again on his own, insisting he had it. Snotlout looked a bit surprised by the firm tone but held back.

Hiccup frowned at the target and gripped the sword better, cringing slightly but managing to swing his body around and strike it rather well. Astrid grinned at this. So Hiccup was starting to have more confident in himself? Fantastic. Deciding to give them space, she went off to see if Stormfly wanted to fly for a bit.

It was just a little after his eighteenth birthday when Hiccup had reached his most interesting growth spurt yet, and this time, Astrid wasn't able to stop the longing that accompanied it. He just... looked so very much like the man she had given her heart so complete to, so long ago. His face and eyes had sharpened, jaw squared out, and he now towered over all of them. He had given up wearing vests a while ago and had begun developing his _amazingly attractive_ armor. He was looking very much like the man she knew he would become.

It was so much better being able to see the tantalizing changes in him slowly over time. He had grown into his haircut, letting the strands frame his face like the glorious lions mane it was. Astrid felt a bit of intense jealousy for the first time in her life at one point, seeing how she wasn't the only female in Berk to have noticed the very interesting changes in Hiccup... who was in fact, no longer a 'hiccup'. Some of the women were even old enough to be his mother! Gross.

Her dreams and memories of him were becoming more and more difficult to brush away now. While during the day it wasn't so bad, every night she had to try harder and harder to push them away. It was everything she could do to act nonchalantly around him, though it was a lot easier for her to do now, now that she was prepared. However, it didn't help her at all that lately memories of her time with _him_ had been viciously resurfacing, keeping her up those night. She knew it wasn't fair to him either, but what could she do? She was helpless to him and he didn't have a clue about it.

Astrid lay in bed one night, wishing for the feel of his arms around her again, wishing she could sneak into his room like she did again, months ago. When she dreamed then, her dreams were full of images and memories of being in his embrace, feeling his love surround her. The dreams forced her to remember when she had given herself completely to him, when she had given him her body, and opened her heart utterly to him. When she woke the next morning, she tried to ignore the tears in her eyes, tried to keep the deep ache, the deep longing away, missing him in ways that confused her, because he was there and she knew it, but she couldn't have his love... not yet.

Her resistances to him were starting to rapidly fail her again... how long could she stay away from him now? How much longer would she be forced to deny her heart?

For now, she stayed away.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Starting out this story with a bang! Sad-ish end to the chapter, sorry, don't worry though, it'll pick up quick! You'll see. Yes I jumped over a year (technically two as I skipped over age 16 entirely) in this chapter, but it had to be done; the story isn't supposed to focus on them so young. It will carry on for a while at 18, as that is when things really start to get interesting... Also, this chapter answers the question why Snotlout doesn't walk all over Hiccup anymore in RTTE. He got himself snarled at by the alpha. _

_I hope everyone enjoyed this first chapter! Let it be known that because this story is a lot longer and has more in it, it will take me a little longer than two days to update. Not too much longer though. Let me know what you thought of this!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by "Union Stone" by Phildel._

* * *

It had been a few weeks now since Astrid discovered how impossible it was to keep on resisting her feelings.

Hiccup was now officially completely ruining her ability to concentrate, to breathe easily. Of course, it wasn't his fault he was growing up, it wasn't his fault she had to sacrifice her happiness to give him a chance to do so. Astrid had woken up on her side, where she had curled up in a weak attempt to find warmth, tormenting herself as she imagined Hiccup's arms around her, keeping her warm, letting her know he was there. Every time she woke up, it was with crushing disappointment that the feel of him with her was only a dream. She stared blankly at the wall for a second, before sighing in frustration and getting up, aching with the amount of work she had been putting herself through every day, just to help distract herself.

It was ridiculous, Astrid knew it was, absurd how she had to focus all of her energy throughout the day in an effort to wear herself out... just so she'd be too tired to miss him at night. Like a winch in her heart, it kept the gate in her walls cracked open, not letting her keep her feelings as tightly closed as she had been able to for the past two years. It wasn't his fault he looked so much like _him_ now. Frustration like nothing she had ever felt surged through her, hating herself for being too weak and emotional to lock herself back up, wishing she could just go back to being his best friend and nothing more, wishing she could forget, wishing she could be at peace around him again.

For the past two years since her return, Astrid had established a very close friendship with Hiccup, which made it both easier and harder on her, she knew it was inevitable, but it still hurt. She couldn't handle being just his friend anymore. Even with how much time she spent with him, how often they flew out together to search the archipelago, racing each other, laughing with each other, dealing with pranks and irritations from their friends, and generally spending quality time together... she felt like she was missing something. A part of her was lost, left behind in the future she had experienced. Even just for three months, they had been the most intense, eye-opening, heart-rending moments in her life. So even as she spent her time with him, she still missed him, couldn't get enough, just couldn't seem to find that missing bit.

So she struggled to fill that void with other things. She worked, took on jobs anywhere that needed help. She trained with her axe and with Stormfly, running drills and taking on academy duties. But... it was never enough. Sometimes she still resented Freyja, and cringed each time the rebellious thoughts filtered through her mind, expecting retribution from the goddess. Fortunately, either Freyja didn't care about her opinion on her, wasn't listening, or took pity on her, but she was never punished with her harsh thoughts. Sometimes she wished she didn't feel so much, wished she had what she had before, that iron cage that locked her emotions away. She wished she was as tough as her mother, who loved her father but showed it in more traditional Viking ways.

Why did _she_ have to be so special? How could some... boy... tear her apart from the inside out, without even actually doing anything?

This part of her, the part that was ripped out and had her emotions exposed so raw and open, was a part of her, a part she had always had but kept buried deep down. She knew this. It was fate, it was decided, her heart in one way or another had always belonged to Hiccup Haddock, even when she didn't realize it. There had always been a part of her that had been bewitched by him, one way or another. She could remember hiding behind her dad's legs when she was very small, introduced to her chief formally, when she first met Hiccup, who was just as shy as she had been. She had immediately been drawn to him, even then, but as they grew, he had been... so different, so small, so unlike any Viking, so out of the norms. He was looked down upon then, criticized, chastised, and chased away. Astrid had always held a pity for him, never picked on him like the others, always had a desire to be closer to him, be his friend, but she knew she couldn't then.

And now she had that friendship she had wanted so badly when she was little... but now, it was just... not enough.

Astrid knew a part of her was broken, she just... didn't know how to fix it.

Decided it was futile to think about things that she couldn't change, Astrid forced herself to prepare for the day. She moved through her motions almost automatically, brushing her hair, braiding it, washing herself, getting dressed, greeting her parents, ignoring their curious stares, eating a quick breakfast and grabbing her axe to head out. She did this almost the same way every day. Why fix something if... Astrid sighed, ignoring that train of thought and heading out to the academy, knowing they would be doing special drills early today.

When she made it to the academy, her friends were already there, and already bickering. "'Morning, Astrid! You're looking particularly beautiful today," Snotlout grinned.

Astrid sighed in exasperation. "Snotlout, it's too early in the morning, give me a few minutes and then I'll beat you up, okay?" she said then, threateningly taking a step toward him.

Snotlout cringed and backed away. "That's okay!" he hurriedly amended.

"Something bothering you, Astrid?" Fishlegs asked with a tinge of concern.

Astrid smiled as cheerfully as she could and shook her head. "Nope, nothing at all!" she insisted. She caught Hiccup's eye then and noticed he had been silently watching her since she walked in. She looked over at him, trying to throw him a challenging gaze, making him look away like he often did... but his eyes locked with hers, like they did sometimes, and he smiled almost shyly, not looking away, eyes shimmering slightly. Could... could he..?

"So anyway," Hiccup turned away then, addressing the whole group and not giving her the time to analyze him properly. "Now that we're all here, we can begin."

"So what do you have planned for us today, oh mighty master with all the plans?" Tuffnut asked teasingly.

Hiccup blinked and decided not to take the bait, knowing Tuffnut was trying to rile him up. "Today we're going to work on swapping drills, to compliment each other as a team and not waste all of a dragon's firepower on a single target," he explained, going over how they would do that, swapping riders out to attack in different ways that would decimate their targets quickly and efficiently. "That... stint with the bandits last year, made me see that we need to work on varied team work." Snotlout shuffled awkwardly at the reminder of that day. Hiccup glanced at him for a second but didn't say any more on it. "I know we all have what it takes to make a formidable force, but we need to work on our _focus_. Everyone good with the plan for today?"

"Why can't we just train for the upcoming race instead..?" Snotlout whined.

"We all know H is going to win it, what's the point?" Tuffnut shot back.

"Unless he helps Astrid win again, like last year" Ruffnut grinned, sharing a look with her brother.

Hiccup was the one to shuffle this time. "That- uh... that was... a miscalculation..." he stammered, trying to ignore the way Astrid was studying him closely again. Astrid hadn't actually thought of it, but they were right, he _had_ helped her win, even though he had denied it outright. What... what did that mean? " _Anyway_ , no we'll have plenty of time for that. This is something good for us, I promise," he smiled at them.

"Well who can say no to that face? Really, look at it!" Tuffnut gushed mockingly, reaching over to pinch Hiccup's cheek, and promptly getting shoved on his ass for the trouble. "Lighten up dude," Tuffnut chuckled.

"Ugh," Hiccup rubbed his head.

"I guess we're in," Ruffnut shrugged.

"I'll follow your lead," Fishlegs nodded.

"Fine..." Snotlout sighed.

"Lead the way," Astrid said, kicking herself for saying it entirely too softly. Hiccup caught her gaze again and held it for a fraction longer than he probably should have, making her heart race just a little faster, before turning and getting on Toothless. Was it just her imagination? Was it wishful thinking, or was he doing that more often lately?

Hiccup went on then. "Last night I set up some targets around the northern side of the island," he explained.

"Wait wait wait, are you saying you planned this ahead of time? Knowing we'd just go along with it?" Tuffnut exclaimed, still comfortably seated on the floor. "What are yooou?" he said dramatically, flinching away. Hiccup rolled his eyes at his antics.

"You're certainly prepared for everything, huh?" Fishlegs mused, leaning casually against Meatlug.

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "I'm not, not really. I guess you could say I'm just a cautiously optimistic guy..?" he mentioned, once again glancing over to Astrid, who once again felt like her heart was in her throat.

Snotlout chose then to laugh, snapping her out of her racing thoughts to what those looks might mean, and making her look away from him with a damn blush. "Cautiously? Yeah right."

"I _am_ cautious," Hiccup retorted with raised a brow, seemingly oblivious to what he was doing to the shield-maiden.

"Right because charging right in without a plan to stop Dagur's so called weapon he had been developing, supposedly, had been cautious," Snotlout snorted.

"Well, that had been more optimistic," his cousin grinned. "Anyway, come on gang, let's go!"

They got to the site and began their drills, swooping in over targets set up around Berk, blowing them to bits, swapping dragons, and seeing which combination of attack worked best while keeping the bantering to a minimum, courtesy of Hiccup's coaxing and Astrid snapping at them to get their shit together. All seems to be going well. Until it wasn't.

Astrid didn't exactly know how it happened, not really... well, maybe she did, it was because she was distracted all morning, focused too much on what may have or may have not been painful hints Hiccup had been throwing her. This hadn't been the first time he did that either, but it had been the most obvious so far. Over the past few months, every now and then, he'd give her these... looks, when he thought she wasn't looking, though never direction at her. Of course, she had _always_ been looking, was now incapable of not noticing him, and it confused and hurt her.

It was difficult to deal with, because he never mentioned anything and always acted as he always had with her, never hinting more, never breaking from his usual character. It both gave her hope and made her heart ache at the same time, not knowing what was on his mind but too scared to ask, too afraid she might scare him off.

So because of her distraction, Astrid had failed to secure her restraints. She had failed to buckle herself down. And she had failed to let Stormfly know she wasn't feeling herself that morning. The poor Nadder had been sensing her fluctuating moods so often lately that she had seemed to get used to it, probably decided it was just a part of who she was. And so, as they did their typical twirls and sharp movements to swap dragons with her teammates, Astrid's saddle had come loose and her with it, not even having locked herself onto it with her harness. "Stormfly!" she shrieked, falling off her dragon in mid spin.

Stormfly sqawked in panic and twisted in the air with effort, trying to turn around on time to fly over and catch her, but she had been flying too fast and would take a bit to get to her. She sped over but Astrid was flailing as she fell and smacked her across the face on accident. Stormfly shook her head from the sting of the sudden smack, but brushed it off and went back. She didn't reach her on time however, because Toothless and his rider were there first, shooting over and catching her. Stormfly purred in appreciation to Toothless, who warbled back a dragon version of 'no problem'.

Astrid had landed right in Hiccup's arms, who snatched her up from the air and held her tightly against him. If the sudden plummet hadn't made her heart beat a mile a second, the feel of the man she had been agonizing over for the gods only knew how long was now making it almost hurt in her chest. "I've got you," Hiccup assured her, almost feeling her heart beating a little too quickly where he held her against his own chest.

Astrid panicked for a second, wondering if she could have a heart attack from just being held by him. She closed her eyes and concentrated in regulating her breathing and calming her heart down. It slowed only a little bit, but she was still very much acutely aware of how close Hiccup held her against him over his lap. Gods, why hadn't he let go yet? This was a torture, nothing else to it. He was so close, so _very_ close. She could smell his scent, could feel the intoxicating warmth of his body seeping into her, chasing the chills of the cold air away. Oh gods, she couldn't handle this.

Hiccup must have decided she was still freaking out from the fall. "Oh hi, Astrid, it's uh, nice of you to drop by..?" he smiled weakly. Despite herself, Astrid couldn't help crack a smile at his corny joke.

"I... thought I'd... drop in?" Astrid tried to joke back weakly, sighing inwardly at how incredibly awkward this already was.

Hiccup was silent for a little bit. "What happened?" he asked carefully, his eyes studying her.

Astrid tried not to shift in his lap, not needing to cause any more awkwardness between them. "I... guess I found gravity boring..." she murmured weakly. At his almost tolerant expression, she sighed and tried to explain. "I forgot to tie myself down. I was distracted," she admitted quietly.

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully. "You've been really quiet today..." he mentioned.

Astrid closed her eyes, trying to ignore how good it felt in his arm, trying not to seem obvious about enjoying this moment too much. Trying not to seem like it was tearing her up at the same time. "Like I said, I was... distracted," Astrid nodded slowly, unable to look at him.

Hiccup shifted a little closer, and Astrid's breath hitched. "With what?" he questioned softly.

Astrid bit her lip, trying to keep from whimpering at the feel of his breath on her cheek. "It... It's... it's personal..." she said lamely, shivering in his hold, though she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from being held by him anymore.

Hiccup didn't seem to want to make it easy on her either. "Are you okay? You're shaking..." he asked in concern, though fortunately not prying in on her 'personal distraction'.

Astrid had to bite back a moan of guilty happiness when he pulled her closer to him, pressing her firmly against his chest while absent mindedly rubbing her arm. _Why_ did he have to do that? There was no reason he'd need to do that, unless he...? Gods, this was driving her crazy. "I... I.. I'm fine, I'm okay, just... startled by the drop..." she answered very shakily. She wanted so badly to snuggle up to him, wanted so bad to relax and feel like she belonged there... but she couldn't, she didn't, not yet, and Astrid had no way of knowing for sure if her time line allowed their relationship to grow. She didn't want to mess what she had with him up, risk him before she even had him... so she resisted.

Hiccup turned his head then. "Don't worry, she's okay, Stormfly. We were just close by and fast enough," he assured the Deadly Nadder. Stormfly trilled happily at him.

"So... are we going to get back to the drills?" Tuffnut grinned.

"Yeah, don't you think she's safe enough now?" Ruffnut agreed.

Despite how much Astrid was overcome with longing, she was now equally as embarrassed, but he was still holding her close in his lap and he still hadn't let her go. She _had_ to separate from him now, before she did something stupid, in front of everyone. "Are uh... are you going to... let go..?" she questioned weakly.

Hiccup flushed deeply then. "Ah- right! Right! Of course, sorry," he apologized, letting her go. Astrid tried not to whimper in protest, but reluctantly disentangled herself from him, trying not to react to the feel of his body as she braced herself to get to her feet on the saddle. And as usual, Hiccup was simply incapable of making it easy on her. His hand shot up to steady her, resting right on her thigh. This was worse than torture, this was her own personal Hel. Astrid breathed deep breaths, shaking again and desperately trying not to focus on the feel of his large hand _there_. Hiccup must have thought her shaking and deep breaths were from anger. "I-I'm sorry! I-I'm just trying to steady you! I _swear_!" he said rapidly.

He didn't, however, remove his hand, and if she wasn't mistaken, he had pressed it a little firmer against her, though that might have been her imagination.

Astrid shook her head, not knowing what to say to that, was he doing this on purpose? His hand almost burned through her leggings where it rested, large and hot, and she could remember just what those hands were capable of. With another shiver, Astrid concentrated on her task. "Um, S-Stormfly, angle yourself like this," she showed her with her hand. Stormfly tilted her head to the side thoughtfully and tried to mimic the direction, maneuvering herself in the air so that Astrid could adjust the saddle and climb back over, hooking herself properly this time. "Thanks... Hiccup..." she muttered, before shooting off, unable to stay so close to him.

"Can we carry on then?" Snotlout asked impatiently.

Hiccup seemed to snap out of where ever his mind had wandered, once again making that annoying little hope tingle within Astrid. "Right. Okay, next set shoot and swap, then we'll see about combining attacks." Before long, they had spent the entire morning doing drills, the little accident having been pushed to the back of Astrid's head, at least for now. When they got back to Berk it was early afternoon. They shared a quick lunch together before splitting up to take care of their own tasks around the village. "I'm going to get off to work..." Hiccup announced to no one in particular. Once again, Astrid noticed a slightly familiar and now irritatingly frequent look from him as he passed by her, before it vanished as though it had never been there.

Running her hand raggedly down her face, Astrid went off without a word to take care of her own chores, needing the distraction very badly that day. Most of the time, the days passed by pretty quickly, but today was different, too many compounding events, too many distraction. Today Astrid was at the dock warehouse, helping her dad with shipments and inventory. It was boring and tedious, but her dad appreciated the help and it helped her mind focus... mostly. After a few hours there, Astrid combed Berk, looking for something else to do. She found her assistance appreciated by Gothi, who tasked her and Fishlegs into going out into the woods to forage for herbs and roots.

"Are you okay, Astrid? That fall was pretty intense," Fishlegs asked in concern.

Astrid smiled reassuringly at him, swatting away memories of the result of that fall away. "I'm fine. I had just been a bit spooked is all. I guess I've been distracted lately," she admitted with a shrug.

"It's a good thing Hiccup was close by, huh?" the large savant smiled.

"...Yeah, it was," Astrid agreed morosely. They carried on with their task in silence. Hunting down for specific items was probably more entertaining than counting crates and barrels and looking over a list, but it also left her time to think, which in her case wasn't a good thing lately. She just couldn't get the fact that Hiccup had been sending her mixed signals all year. Yeah, it had been more than a few months, if she really thought of it. And then, there had been that thing with the race last year. What was going on in his head? Why did he give her looks and then pretend that he didn't and nothing had changed? Why was there an increasing... tension between them? What was going on?

Astrid ached to know, wanted so badly to know how he felt for her, wondering if his feelings were at least starting to resemble hers? Or if they were different from the future she had experienced? It was killing her, not knowing. Sure, she could just ask him, but what if he didn't feel the same way? What if it made it too awkward between them and it put a strain on their friendship? No... for now she'd just have to... be patient. Patience was a virtue, that was what Freyja had told her once, after all. If a _god_ told her, _directly_ , that she had to be patient, then she really didn't have a choice, did she?

After her work was done for the day, Astrid normally either continued flying, or train with her axe, maybe even with other weapons. Sometimes though, she simply wanted to watch Hiccup work. She knew it drove him a little crazy, but she couldn't help herself. Besides, he was driving her crazy too, so they were even. Astrid knew well it would be incredibly foolish of her to go today, after everything that happened today, after her yearning for him had been torn open again, but she could never stay away from him for long.

So Astrid found herself walking into the forge, wondering if she was a masochist, and not for the first time. "Hello, Astrid," Gobber greeted her. "Come to keep us company again?" he grinned knowingly.

Hiccup glanced up from his work, but didn't say anything, just went right back to his task. Astrid bit her lip and walked over to her table. "Yeah. I finished for the day, thought I'd take a break and watch you boys work. It's um... really entertaining," she admitted.

"Oh, I'm sure it is," Gobber chuckled.

Astrid flushed, wondering if the limb-challenged man knew something. As pretty usual, she found herself sitting at a far end table away from the bustle of the blacksmiths, working on their orders while trying to ignore their silent company for the most part. Astrid sat there, just observing them, or rather, guiltily observing Hiccup. Astrid tried not to be obvious about it of course, letting her eyes wander, playing with various things around her, running a rag or a sharpening stone over her axe, even resorting to watching Gobber work now and then.

She couldn't keep her eyes off Hiccup for too long though. If it wasn't her feelings of inescapable love she felt for him she was focused on, it was... other feelings... feelings she felt slightly ashamed of, since he didn't exactly know and she shouldn't be thinking that way about her friend. But Freyja, Hiccup was already starting to develop an amazing body, and he still didn't know how much she _wanted_ him. She knew it was crazy, she had experienced a lot of little... intense moments, and then that night, but it shouldn't have been enough to make her crave more... right..? Even so, she couldn't help noticing him, _that way_ , more and more lately.

Astrid shifts in her seat, eying him with barely hidden interest. She remembered when he had done this in the past, how just holding her axe had weighed him down, nearly toppling him over... now he was swing around weapons twice the length of his already long arm with casual ease. Normally Astrid could handle watching him, could keep the more intense thoughts of him at bay, but today had been especially hard for her to control them. So as she watched him work, his sleeves rolled up, sweat, as always, making his clothes stick to him enticingly, the little exposed skin glistening from the fires of the forge, his expression concentrated, brows drawn, tongue sometimes poking out at the corner of his mouth, she just... couldn't stop herself from... _reacting_.

Today, more than ever, Astrid had to try very _very_ hard not to _react_ to him, but she was fighting a losing battle. She remembered the feel of being pressed against him that morning, how good his body heat felt, arms pulling her close, then the feel of his rough hand over her thigh, burning through her leggings. In an instant she lost her breath. His hands on her and him working at the forge forced her to remember things she desperately tried to hold back. She struggles to keep it out of her thoughts... but she wasn't able to. She remembered the moment with _him_ in that very forge, behind the door at the far end, remembering him pressing her over the table, hands over her trembling body, ready to make her cry out for him, pleasuring her. She remembered how unbelievably aroused he had made her, how he almost pushed into her quivering body. Then she remembered when he finally did take her, made her sob and cry for him, again and again.

Too much, too intense, the memories were all rushing back to her. Gods, she thought over time you were supposed to forget about things! Why could she see them so clearly? Could almost feel him pressing into her, feel his erection, hot and throbbing, thrusting into her as he rubbed her tender nipples. No, no, no! Astrid suddenly lost her senses and had to grip the edge of the table hard, heart beating hard, hot desire rushing between her legs, oh no! She had to leave quickly, before she did something that could hurt her already awkward friendship with him!

Astrid shot up from the table, doubling over with a gasp when the sudden movement made the pulsing heat between her legs so much stronger. She needed to leave, now! Unfortunately, Hiccup had noticed her abrupt movement and heard her gasp, turning to look her way. "Astrid, are you okay?" he asked curiously.

Astrid shook where she stood, hand gripping the table tightly. "I-I'm fine! I just- I forgot I needed to do something. I'll- I'll see you later!" she said brokenly, running out quickly. Hiccup watched her go with growing concern, but completely confused and a little disappointed by her sudden departure.

Astrid collapsed behind some houses, panting and shaking. She closed her eyes and willed the images to go away, willed the incessant desire coursing through her veins to please just stop. Fortunately, after a few years of practice, it was easier for her now to clear her mind, even if her body took a little more time. She couldn't afford to... relieve herself, not now, not this early in the day. Right now she needed to occupy her time and thoughts with something or her control would slip again. Astrid took her axe and went right to the academy, deciding a good day of exercise and training would do wonders wearing her out.

She spent the remainder of that day there, training with her axe, hacking and slashing at targets to 'death' to help clear her thoughts, even though... as was her perpetual torment, they still managed to continuously revolve around him. Astrid suddenly remembers when she had done this, years ago, when trying to resist those same feelings and try and figure him out. How ironic. It was almost like she had gone full circle, though not quite. She wasn't at Dragon's Edge and Hiccup wasn't trying to... woo her, unfortunately. Astrid laughed humorlessly at that. This was so messed up. The exercise did its trick though, helping her focus her thoughts and even help hone her skills to boot.

Unfortunately, that night though, as she lay in bed trying with all her might to fall asleep quickly, she wasn't able to stop from remembering again. Her mind went back to how incredibly flooded with desire she had gotten at the forge, remembering all the moments she had with him that day, remembering every look, every innocent touch, everything. Astrid groaned in distress in her pillow, exasperated by the feeling of fresh heat swelling where she wished it wouldn't. Why couldn't her mind and her body leave her alone? Stop teaming up on her like that?

Unable to help herself, Astrid's mind went directly to him, as was becoming very frequent, finding herself fantasizes about him, unable to get him off her mind. She imagined herself laying there, like she was, and watching him climb through her window. She imagined him stripping himself right in front of her, crawling over her onto the bed and taking her. She ached so badly for him, but she couldn't do anything about it and it killed her. This wasn't new, this wasn't the first time she _lusted_ for him, and each time it filled her with shame.

Part of her felt very guilty for actually lusting over her friend, knowing it was completely shallow of her, but she also knew it was far more than that. Astrid craved Hiccup in a much deeper level, she knew this, but it didn't bring her much comfort. It didn't stop her from wanting him with her, wanting his love, wanting his arms around her, and it was killing her not to just blurt out how she felt to him. The only reason she didn't now was because she wasn't entirely sure he felt the same.

The signals he gave her confused her, because he was so aloof. Again, despite giving her looks every so often, he never did anything else to make her think he was attracted to her, or wanted more than friendship. She knew he was shy in nature, but she had figured that he'd show more interest in her than simple looks now. That morning had been an exception. Otherwise, he seemed perfectly content hunting for dragons, mapping out the surroundings of Berk, running drills with them, even taking up a few greater responsibilities as future chief, if only to appease his father... but he didn't react to her nearly as much has he did when he was younger. Did he lose interest in her? There was no telling that future would play out the same way for her, so what could she do but ache for him, in more ways than one? Patience was a virtue, what a joke.

And so Astrid lay there helpless to do anything, at the mercy to her feelings, to her desires, trembling and aching, powerlessly trying to push those memories away. But they were relentless. And part of her didn't even want to push them away. She tried to resist it, tried to hold off, but she couldn't, not that night. With a defeated whimper, Astrid imagined him in the room with her again, could almost feel his hot breath on her, his hands sliding over her, tormenting and pleasing her, she couldn't... deal with this for too much longer. Especially when he was sending her so many signals and then not acting on them!

Astrid usually slept either half naked or completely, depending on how cold it was, so she didn't have much resistance stopping her. She slipped her hand between her legs, whimpering as she gave up fighting it, needing to relieve herself before she went insane. She swallowed thickly, closing her eyes and imagined it was his hand instead of hers. Imagined he was pushing past her folds, rubbing up and down slowly, tapping insistently over her clit. Astrid panted, moving her other hand to her breast, imagining it was his mouth, rubbing her nipples in time with his fingers, licking, tasting, tormenting her exquisitely.

She imagined his hand between her legs spreading her legs, getting her ready for him, caressing her, whispering how much he needed her. Her mouth dried and she imagined him pressing his tongue against her lips then, parting them open so he could stroke her, muffle her cries as he finally pressed into her. Astrid moved her fingers in and out of her, imagining it was him, thrusting deep inside her, shushing her cries, kissing her, muffling her as he made love to her. Astrid panted, moaning softly as she pleasured herself, wishing he was there, doing this, wishing for his arms around her, warming her, soothing her, giving her his love.

She imagines his hot mouth on her neck, tongue stroking her pulse-point, his solid body pressing continuously into hers, whispering how he loved her as he drove in deep and let himself go, flushing his warm essence deep inside her. Astrid hid her face in her pillow, moaning and whimpering his name as she orgasmed, missing him so badly it hurt. She lay there then, finally relieved but horribly unsatisfied. She felt miserable, face hidden in her pillow, silent tears soaking through, wishing he was with her, his arms around her, chasing all the pain in her heart away. Wishing he loved her as much as she truly loved him. This hurt more than anything, not knowing how he felt and yearning for him to return her feelings.

Astrid hid her face in her pillow, much like she did a lot of night, trying not to wake her parents, trying to keep her heart ache from consuming her, trying not to let herself fall too deeply into despair. Part of her scolded her, telling her she was overreacting, telling her she might love him, might yearn for him, but she had other things she needed to focus on too. She had her training, her duties at the academy, her family, her dragon, and her own desires to spread her wings and find herself. Astrid knew this well, but it didn't stop her heart from silencing that reasoning.

In the end, Astrid stared blankly at the wall in the dark, much like she had in the morning, until sleep finally took mercy on her and claimed her.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** My intention in the chapter was to mix eroticism with deep emotional angst, the conflicting feelings Astrid has for Hiccup. how'd I do? Poor Astrid... then again, she did it to herself, watching Hiccup in all his oblivious sexiness at the forge...Speaking of Hiccup, what's up with him? _

_Let me make it perfectly clear, the only reason I updated as quickly as I have this time, is because I'm trying to get through all the angst quickly lol, I'm a sap at heart, there's only so much I can take. Don't expect every chapter to be updated this quickly!_

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **hana0maru:** It wasn't too long a wait though, right? Hehe._

 _ **UnbreakableWarrior:** Thank you!_

 _ **Calvin:** Thanks! Oh believe me, they will lol._

 _ **Gamer Spice:** The poor girl is certainly feeling lost :(_

 _ **harrypanther:** I'm so glad you thought it was well-paced, I was worried I rushed it too much!_

 _ **British1994:** I'll update as quick as I can, but it'll take a little longer than with the other story._

 _ **LightningAndDeathItself218:** It sure is!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** I sort of fell in love with my story, it started out as a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone... now I can't leave IT alone!_

 _ **Haddockwarrior:** I'm glad you are!_

 _ **Mia:** Aww, thank you!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Hey Now" by London Grammar._

* * *

Astrid Hofferson was _not_ a damsel in distress.

She was a Viking! She was tough, she was brave, and she was gorgeously lethal. But... she was also a woman, and she was a woman hurting.

Astrid wasn't sure how many months it had been since she had been overcome with her need for Hiccup. Two maybe. She wasn't really sure and she didn't really care. She had thought it'd get easier with time, but the more time she spent trying to resist her feelings, much like she had years ago, the harder it was to function properly. As it were, she was now even having a little trouble speaking to him casually. What was worse was that he continued to give her those frustrating little hints, those unreadable looks. Maybe he could tell she was hurting, or maybe he was actually in some way trying to show interest... she wasn't sure. By now Astrid knew he was at least trying to tell her something, so that little niggle of hope in her heart stirred every time he looked at her in that way.

Even so, she was hesitant. She really missed the closeness she had managed to attain with his older counterpart, and she really hated to compare them, but there it was. She missed him, and wanted to have that with him again... but she was afraid of losing her friendship with him. They were now probably the closest of friends that they had ever been, telling each other _almost_ everything, relying on each other, going on dragon watches, and talking all the time. They were close, but they weren't... close enough, for her liking. She was just... scared. Gods, when had she become so obsessed with him? It was only so much Astrid could take though, only so long before she cracked, and this scared her more than anything.

That day was a typical day of drills and exercises at the academy... but with a twist. The big race was coming up at the end of the week, and Snotlout had requested they prepare for it and help him work on his sheep launching mechanism. Aside from some tinkering on the admittedly interesting catapult, and one very questionable sheep, things were more or less normal. However, throughout the day, as was becoming usual for her, Astrid had a hard time paying attention, feeling like she was just moving through the motions at that point. She still participated in challenges, still had that competitive urge in her, still fed Stormfly chicken to get her to fly faster, and was still able to just barely catch up with her to Toothless and Hiccup. But even with all the upcoming excitement and the thrills it all brought, it still did little to ease her.

As the day wore down and they separated to do their duties around Berk, Astrid's concentration was all but shot. It would have been so much easier if Hiccup had behaved around her more like he did last year, more or less distant and familiar. Lately he had been distracting her more than anything else did, so in a way, it wasn't her fault she was a mess. It was partly his fault. And how did he distract her? In very much the same way his counterpart had. He was just... always _there_. He had been a lot more close lately, standing closer, smiling more to her when she caught him looking her way, instead of blushing and hurriedly looking away. While part of her wasn't sure what to make of it, it raised that hope very high... and she was having a hard time staying away.

By the end of the day, she was at her wits end, having had caught him _staring_ at her for the countless time in the past couple months. He wasn't even trying to be subtle about it anymore, and maybe... maybe that was the clue she had been waiting for. Either way, she had it, she was done, she had finally cracked. She needed answers. And so, when all the chores were done, Astrid waited for Gobber and Hiccup to lock up shop and separate for the evening. She shuffled where she stood, chewing on her lip, waiting for him to be clear of anyone else, then went up to him. Her heart was beating hard enough to almost not allow her to hear anything else, mouth dry, and a bundle of nerves sat in her gut. She found him walking through town and very quickly caught up to him. "Hey... hey um, Hiccup..? Can we... talk..?" she asked awkwardly.

Hiccup paused and regarded her silently for a second, his head turned slightly to the side to appraise her. "Yeah, sure," he agreed and let her lead him. They found themselves behind some houses, away from prying eyes and traffic. Fortunately it was late enough in the evening that everyone else was either at home or at the Great Hall by now, preparing for dinner. "What did you need to talk to me about?" he asked quietly, eyes trained on her.

Like she had, two years ago, when she had told him about her 'vision', Astrid found herself pacing in front of him, not sure where to begin. Honestly, she was stressing out much more than she thought she would. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn't she just tell him how she felt? She paused in front of him and cleared her throat awkwardly, trying to collect her nerve. "Hiccup, I..." she ran her hand over her hair, down her braid, trying to soothe herself. "I um... the thing is..." Astrid groaned inwardly.

Hiccup frowned curiously, stepping just a little closer to her. "What is it? Is there something wrong?" he asked in concern.

Astrid shook her head and breathed out in frustration. "Nothing is _wrong_ , I just..." she let out a tired sigh. "I just don't know what to do about you," she admitted softly, her eyes anywhere but his. It was almost funny how she had been able to adapt to his older self in such a short time, and let him have his wicked way with her, but she could _barely_ look at 'her' Hiccup. This was _crazy_ , what did she have to be afraid of? She knew he must have feelings for her by now, the increase in his 'hints' was enough to convince her... so maybe there really was hope..?

Hiccup's head tilted in that way she was so fond of when he was trying to figure something out. "About me? What do you mean?" he asked cautiously, his beautiful eyes glinting softly with the waning light of the day, the orange playing across his face invitingly.

Astrid shifted uneasily. "I mean I... I... since that first time, on Toothless... back when we were kids..." she groaned to herself again, wondering why she was so nervous. He wouldn't just... reject her, right? "Since then, and then when you um- when you... held me too, that night... a-and when I held you, and uh... when you caught me too," she sighed again, this was ridiculous. "Probably... longer than that actually. The thing is I..." She took a shuddering breath, unable to look at him, not even noticing Hiccup's eyes had been widening by the second. "I tried... I-I really did but, but it's... so hard to stay away. It hurts to... I haven't been able to stop- you're all I can-"

As though understanding what she was trying to say, before she could finish Hiccup had stepped right into her personal space. Astrid gasped at the sudden nearness, shivering at the feel of his heat surrounding her so suddenly. She felt his hands slide over her cheeks then, just seconds before he leaned in all the way, his lips finally descending upon hers, light and soft.

Astrid lost her breath in an instant, heart racing so fast it made her dizzy, disbelief and wonder surging through her. She felt her heart well almost painfully with her deeply suppressed feelings for him, all of them shoving into her chest for attention, suffocating her. This.. was this... a dream? Was this another horrible fantasy mocking her? No, no it wasn't, the feel of his soft lips on her, his hands trembling over her cheeks, his spicy scent wafting into her nose, his hair tickling her forehead, he was... he was really... he was!

Astrid did all she could to resist the whimper, did all she could to not break. How long had she yearned for this moment? Panicked that it would never arrive? Wishing and hoping that the time-line was at least similar, praying he would make the first move and ease her uncertainties. And he did! Astrid had kissed him before when they were younger, but this was the first time Hiccup had kissed her on his own, firmly making his feelings clear to her, and it made her soul sing, resonate with feelings she tentatively hoped he returned. It wasn't even one of those heart-stopping, knee-buckling, tongue-sucking kisses she had with his older counterpart, ...but the very fact that he had finally initiated it on his own, so firm and so insistent, gave her a thrill so great it made her lose her breath.

When he pulled away, far too quickly for her liking, Astrid felt as lightheaded as ever and wasn't sure if she was holding herself up or if he was. Hiccup's eyes were as intense as ever as he searched hers, bright with emotions. When he spoke next, his words held a touch of wonderment and a longing that made her heart ache so much harder for him. "I've been... waiting so long..." he murmured, his tempting mouth still so very painfully close to hers.

Relief flooded her. He had been waiting for her, he had wanted to be more than friends all this time, after all! Oh why couldn't she have had the guts to confess to him sooner? She could have saved herself so much heartache. In her delirious state of bliss, it was everything Astrid could do not to grab him and kiss him with everything she had, but she knew he wasn't yet used to that sort of thing. Like a wild animal, she had to be patient and gentle with him, or she'd spook him. Too bad patience and gentleness didn't exactly come easily to her. This was going to be very difficult. "I'm-I'm sorry I made you wait so long..." she smiled weakly, trying not to remember the last time she had told a version of him that.

But honestly, like some swooning idiot in one of those trashy books Ruffnut liked to read, even though she insisted she never read anything, Astrid was feeling much too faint and dazed to think of anything else when his mouth neared hers again, almost close enough to feel. Such luscious lips, such a talented tongue, and he didn't even know it yet. Oh gods, he was killing her! Astrid nearly cried out in protest when he fully pulled back from her, but held back from doing so. The nervous smile he gave her was adorable of course, so there was a bit of consolation. A bit.

Hiccup had a deep, nervous blush, rubbing his neck a little, looking anywhere but her eyes now. "Does this mean, uh... well, that you'd like... are we..." he trailed off with a deepened flush, unable to find the words. How could he be such a fierce leader and tactician, tame and command fire-breathing dragons, and yet turn into his old, adorable, shy and nervous fifteen year old self with her? It made her affection for him so much more, knowing Hiccup was still Hiccup, no matter how much more amazing he looked now.

Astrid stared in surprise though. Was he asking what she hoped he was? It certainly sounded like that! Gods in Valhala, let it be true.

Deciding to both take the risk and take pity on him, despite how amusing it was to see him so shy with her, and honestly not able to help herself, she took her turn cupping his cheeks this time and tugged him back to kiss her. Hiccup lost his balance from the enthusiasm and fell back against her with a completely unmanly squeak. Once he settled he relaxed into the kiss. It was still a chaste kiss, unfortunately, but Astrid held him against her longer, the pressure stronger. She slipped her fingers in his hair, nails dragging gently over his scalp, letting him know this wasn't like those other times, and smiling against the kiss when he shivered and sighed.

Hiccup was overwhelmed, not able to believe his luck. This time, Hiccup didn't seem content with just receiving the kiss. To her delight, he pressed a little harder right back and Astrid had to hold back a moan, having missed that pressure almost as much as the kissing itself. When they eventually pulled apart, Astrid was pleasantly surprised to find his hands on her hips.

Hiccup seemed to notice then too and tried to take them off quickly, but she caught his hands and directed them right back. Oh no you don't, she thought, he wasn't going to retreat now! He hesitated for a second but relaxed again and left his hands there. Astrid sighed blissfully at the warm feeling of them on her waist, not caring that he heard her and blushed. It was about time he knew what he did to her anyway. "...What do you think this means, ...babe?" she probed, glancing up at him rather shyly through her lashes, watching him turn a very interesting shade of purple.

"That uh... that you'd... like..." Hiccup stuttered nervously, looking about ready to pass out.

Astrid's eyes swam with emotion. "Yes, Hiccup, I would like very much," she answered with a soft laugh. Gods, what was she turning into? And why had her heart not stopped racing so hard?

Hiccup seemed completely relieved. "Oh good..." he sighed, then shifted a little closer, and Astrid was out of breath again. A little smile poked his lips up attractively and she had trouble concentrating. "Can we... do that again..?" he asked carefully, eyes swimming with hope. Astrid smiled brightly, her heart racing faster than it had in a long time and pulled him back to her lips, doing everything she could to go easy on him. Yes, this would be fun, but very difficult as well.

They stood there for a long while, losing the ability to breath correctly a few times, but grinning and going right back. Each little kiss seemed to last longer than the next, and each one, each time, made her heart beat faster and swell with happiness more. Hiccup kept his hands where they were, and for now the warmth and assurance they offered was enough to quell the longing in Astrid's heart.

They stepped closer to each other at one point, toe to toe now and Astrid found the familiar little thrill of having to lift herself up on her toes to kiss him more comfortably. Thor, she loved that he was taller now, she might act proud on the outside, but it was still a very great thrill to her. They weren't sure how long they stood there, almost continuously meeting each other lips, sparing very little time to talk in between kisses, but they didn't care, they were in a world of their own making.

Unfortunately, they were torn from it, called away by their respective parents and had to eventually separate. Astrid looked back of to him as she went to her house, feeling the longing return, but then was thrilled when he looked back to her and smiled softly, showing her his own yearning to not separate just yet. There was a lot of planning to do before the race though, so they were forced to stay away. At least they still had tomorrow.

That night, Astrid laid in bed feeling like she had been in a wonderful dream the whole day, feeling light and giddy, so very different from how she had woken up that morning. He..! He wanted to be with her! It hadn't been her imagination! All those hints he had been giving her, was his way of letting her know he was interested. The entire time, the frequency in which he had given them, it seemed he had been just as impatient as she was. Part of her was a little exasperated that he had been too shy to actually confess himself, but at this point she couldn't care less, because she finally got her heart's deepest desire.

Hiccup Haddock returned her feelings! Sleep did not come easily for Astrid, as it hadn't for a few years now, only this time for _much_ happier reasons. When she finally fell asleep, it was with an almost permanent smile on her face.

The next day though, oh she hadn't thought it could get as awkward as it had. After flying through her morning ritual and making her parents stare at her in confusion as she greeted them happier than she had in probably years, she had eagerly made her way to the academy, very excited to see him again... and, you know, train, do drills, and take care of actually important things that day, of course.

When she got there, Hiccup was in the middle of assuring Snotlout that the tweaks he had done to the sheep catapult wouldn't 'ruin all his hard work'. When he saw her walk in, Astrid felt her breath catch at the brilliant smile he gave her, heart thrumming in her chest, just with that. He quickly covered it up and went on with his instructions for the day soon after. The reason it was awkward, was because neither of them really knew what to do with each other that day. They were still friends and still acted as such, but there seemed to be a lighter tone between them, that confused their friends. And so they decided that if they wanted them to focus, they would try to act like nothing changed.

They went about their usual drills, timing each other and competing for either fastest or fanciest movies. Hiccup and Astrid, respectively, most often than not won those competitions. In no time at all they were through with their academy portion of the day. As they all walked back toward the main part of Berk for lunch, Astrid was delighted when Hiccup slowed down to walk beside her. They glanced at each other and smiled. "Will you be keeping me company at the forge today?" Hiccup asked quietly and curiously.

Astrid flushed. She had been stopping by so often over the past year that it had basically become a habit. "Oh, if I have to," she teased with a shy grin. Hiccup's face couldn't have looked more adorable, his grin lopsided, toothy on one side and eyes sparkling. "I... thought I distracted you..?" Astrid questioned, trying ignore the butterflies in her belly at his sweet smile.

"Oh you do," Hiccup answered immediately, then flushed deep and stumbled over his words. "Ah- I mean... you're uh, I don't expect to see someone there... oh but it's not like I don't like your company! I do it's um, I'm just... it's nice..?" he blushed again, wincing at how _suave_ he was... not.

Astrid simply could not hold back the girly giggle. He was just too damn cute when he got all flustered. "I enjoy your company too," she smiled lightly, feeling weightless.

Hiccup relaxed and he returned the tender look, unaware of how much it made her heart race. "Then I'll wait for you," he said softly.

Astrid bit her lip and tried to keep herself from blushing right along with him at his words. If only he knew what his words could do to her... maybe one day she'd tell him, and let him wreck havoc on her. "Okay," she answered, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. They met the others at the Great Hall for lunch, trying to act nonchalant as they sat next to each other... maybe a little closer than normal, but none of their friends seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.

They couldn't act upon their feelings there, obviously, but at least they had the comfort of being able to sit almost hip to hip without the awkward need to distance themselves anymore. It was something, at least. They then separated to their own duties as normal. Astrid rushed to finish her work, this time helping her mother organize the armory. She found a sword that looked a little like the one she had seen Hiccup's counterpart use once upon a time and smiled, feeling excited about seeing him later that day.

The day couldn't end any faster, it just seemed to go on longer! Astrid sighed as she glanced at the dial every now and then, irritated that the hours just kept passing so slowly! She worked as tirelessly as she always did, but always kept an eye on the clock. Maybe that was the problem? They did say a kettle never boiled if you watched it, right? Maybe looking at the sun dial was the same. Hour-glasses were no better. So Astrid reigned in her impatience and focused on the tasks dolled out to her by her mother. When she was _finally_ finished with everything he mother asked her to do, she couldn't leave any faster.

"Evening, Astrid," Gobber greeted her as she walked in, without even looking up. Once again, Astrid caught Hiccup's eye and he sent her a heart-throbbing grin at her, nearly slicing his own finger off with his distraction. Astrid cringed, but he quickly pulled it away, eyes wide with what had almost happened. She sent him an apologetic look but he shook his head, smiling again. Astrid bit her lip and settled onto her table, this time feeling a lot less guilty about... _admiring_ him, as he worked. Fortunately, Astrid's thoughts were so filled of all the possibilities and happier outlooks with him recently, that she wasn't actually paying attention to how _amazing_ he looked when he worked. At least that way, it stopped it from getting too awkward between them.

By the time the work load was finished, and Gobber bid them a good evening to go sing by a barrel of mead, Astrid had slipped off her table and approached him, trying not to seem too eager. Hiccup however made very little attempt to keep grace and almost knocked over his tools as he met her half way. Astrid had to will her heart to slow down at his enthusiastic approach, overwhelmed with how much he wanted this as much as she did... but she knew her heart would not slow for a good long while to come, if ever.

Hiccup shifted where he stood, a little unsure. "So um," he began a little nervously, a familiar blush on his cheeks as he scratched his neck. "I was wondering, are you still, you know... interesting in sticking around... with... me..?" he asked awkwardly, showing a bit of his insecurity to her.

Astrid tried to resist rolling her eyes at such a silly question. The poor guy had _no idea_ how much she wanted to 'stick around'. Honestly though, she could understand why he had so little self assurance. Three years since finally getting the respect he deserved from the village at fifteen, wasn't that long to heal all the hurt and ridicule he had growing up. So she was as patient as she could be with him. "You're not getting rid of me that easily," she told him with a little smile. "Sorry, but you're stuck with me... babe," she said, blushing when she added the petname. Fortunately, he seemed taken with it.

Hiccup grinned widely again, obviously liking the idea that he was 'stuck with' her. "Ah- in that case..." he stepped a little closer, this time noting the blush on her cheek as he did with quite a bit of interest. "Do you want to, maybe, possibly, before we went on our way, uh- could we maybe... k-kiss?" he asked shyly, eyebrows raised and eyes shining with hope.

Astrid felt her blush darken but grinned at his bashfulness, nodding in agreement and placing her hand on his chest, pushing a little closer to him. She felt that he was a little stiff in his posture and had to wonder why he seemed so nervous still. "Hiccup, why are you so shy..? You never seemed to be when I kissed you when we were younger?" Granted, those kisses had _not_ been the same.

Hiccup laughed nervously. "Well, those times I had been taken by surprise and I was... kind of too shocked to actually have any time to react... and also, you were... kind of _fast_..." he answered with a shy smile. "I kind of wished you took a little more time, back then," he admitted quietly.

Astrid tried to brush away the obnoxious butterflies. He had been wanting to kiss her for _that long_? Gods, she really _had_ waited too long! So he reacted better when she surprised him then? She could do that. For now at least. Getting an idea of how to get him to relax into this a little better, her lips quirked up mischievously. "Is this what you mean?" she asked, then grabbed him by the front of his shirt, glad he had taken his armor off to work, and tugged him roughly to her. Just as she had done when they were kids, her lips crushed into his and his eyes widened in surprise. Unlike those times however, she slid her hand to the back of his neck and slid her hand up his chest to his heart. Hiccup relaxed much faster this time and returned the pressure. Astrid ran her fingers through his hair, sighing contentedly.

Hiccup hesitated for a second, but placed his hands right back over her hips again, like he had the day before. He felt her smile into the kiss and relaxed further, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over her shirt where his hands rested, just a little. This however caused an interesting result. Astrid gasped slightly in very pleasant surprise and pushed herself a little closer to him, completely blown away by that little gesture. Curious, Hiccup did it again, this time with a little more pressure, drawing his thumb in a circle, ruffling her shirt just a bit and flushed deeply when she moaned softly into the kiss. Astrid could feel him frowning a little into the kiss, but knew it was his inventor expression, the one he made when trying to figure out how to put together a complicated new design. She had to wonder, would he let his tinkering side take over and... explore? The prospect was certainly enticing.

When air became a problem, they reluctantly pulled away, blushing deeply. They remained very close, foreheads touching, and sighed contentedly at the same time, grinning at their synchronized reactions. "So, is that what you meant?" Astrid asked after a couple breathless seconds.

Hiccup chuckled softly, once again setting her heart off. "Yes, and... I appreciate you giving me a chance to react properly this time..."

Astrid's brow rose. "Are you saying you would have kissed back if I gave you time to back then..?" she asked in surprise.

Hiccup thought about it for a few seconds. "Probably," he decided. "Although it would have taken a lot of patients. I think I would have been too shocked to react too quickly."

"And you're not shy now?" Astrid challenged.

Hiccup blushed. "Oh I- I totally am, yes," he nodded truthfully. "But this time I know something I didn't then."

Astrid tilted her head this time. "What's that?" she asked, and then she promptly lost her breath again when he leaned closer to her.

Hiccup decided to ignore his own blustering shyness and try his luck at a more intense attitude. "I can make you blush," he whispered, lips very close to her ear.

Oh gods! He was an extremely quick study!

Astrid struggled to remain calm, heart fluttering too hard, her breath too difficult to control, his nearness, his words, so low and suggestive, even though he probably didn't realize it... yet, and his lips right by her ear, hot breath on her cheek... if he did any more she would combust! "Ah, um, w-well, I guess a little..." she stammered, proving his point by blushing darkly and cursing her rampant feelings for him for getting the better of her. Again.

Hiccup's eyes danced with pleased satisfaction that he was able to pull it off and make her blush, not just that, he had actually flustered her, too! He would _definitely_ take serious note of that. "I like it," he admitted with his own blush.

Astrid chewed on her lip. "You would..." she muttered half exasperated, half teasingly. They held each others gaze for a moment longer before neither of them could stay away much longer and leaned in again. Astrid's hand just slid over his jaw when they heard Stoick's voice calling for Hiccup. They pulled away with a gasp, just on time to see the Berk Chieftain walk by.

Stoick found them then, fortunately completely oblivious to what they had just been up to. "There you are! Astrid, you too lass, you should both be at the Great Hall! We're about to go over the plans for the Dragon Race preparations. We've all gathered there tonight for dinner. Lots of preparations to do yet before the race. Come on now, let's go," he smiled. If there was one thing that could make the older man as excited as little boy, it was races, preparations and celebrations.

"Sure dad," Hiccup smiled. Stoick smiled back and led the way.

As the two made their way over to the steps up to the Great Hall, their hands brushed against each other. Astrid purposefully grazed hers against his again and glanced up at him shyly. Hiccup looked over at her and blushed, but then smiled happily and let his pinky hook around hers. Astrid wasn't sure why the little gestures were making her feel so lightheaded and giddy, but she couldn't get enough of it. Her heart swelled with every little thing he did, whether it was a grin, a kiss, or even a simple, small touch. Each little thing made the ache that had been simmering in her heart ebb away. They spent the remainder of the evening going over actually rather boring preparations and unfortunately didn't have the chance to themselves before separating for the night. Astrid longed for the day where she wouldn't have to leave his side so quickly.

The next day was a lot easier on them. It wasn't nearly as awkward as the day before. Astrid had assured Hiccup she was open to him and wanted to be by his side and she was likewise assured he was very much interested in her. With that peace of mind between them, they spent the rest of the day trying not to seem too obvious over their sudden increase in enthusiasm and overall happiness. Astrid noted with interest that Hiccup seemed to have a little bounce to his step and it did wonders in making his outlook a little brighter. She had _no idea_ she could cause such a positive change in him but she was _very_ eager to see how else she could support him.

Throughout the day, they couldn't help sending each other knowing looks, smiling and blushing but trying to act casual about it at the same time. Since they started trying to ease into their slowly blossoming new relationship, they had quickly found the only time they really had to venture into the shiny new notion was during academy duties in the morning, while walking to lunch, at various meal times at the Great Hall, and after their work during the rest of the day.

It wasn't much time to themselves, but they made an effort to sneak in meaningful gestures. When they were together with others, they would shoot each other looks, smiles, and if they were in the Great Hall, they sat together, as usual, but pressed a little closer, letting themselves feel each others presence, let their hands touch lightly. They did little things like that throughout the day, that made them feel more and more comfortable with each other. Sometimes they would even be able to sneak in good night kisses before separating, and each time it made it more difficult to actually part ways.

Like most days, that day they separated for work around town. As usual, Astrid was impatiently waiting for the time where she could spend a few minutes at least with him. She found herself soon enough back at the forge. After work, they stepped out of the way of the open, moving a little further into the forge for privacy. Astrid was tempted to ask about going to his office, but she did _not_ need to remember what had happened in there... not yet anyway.

As was becoming habit, Hiccup stepped right into her and Astrid slid her hands over him, for now trying to stay as innocent as she could. She would then tug him down and kiss him. This time, his hands, that had automatically found themselves on her waist, traveled up to her back, hesitating a second before pulling her closer, all but trapping her against him. Astrid tried not to shudder at the entirely too pleasant feeling and very happily let him press her against him. Soon and _finally_ she found herself wrapped in his arms. Joy unlike any other she had felt in years engulfed her heart.

They pulled away for a second and simply searched each others eyes. "You know," Hiccup began as softly as ever. "I've wanted to kiss you so many times before... but I was always afraid you'd reject me..." he admitted shyly.

Astrid's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's... an unbelievable coincidence, because I... felt the same," she grinned just as bashfully.

"R-Really?" Hiccup questioned incredulously. "You wanted me to...?"

"Yes, for a long time," Astrid nodded.

"Oh," he blushed again. Grinning at each other, they weren't sure who moved first, but they soon found themselves in a very comforting hug, basking in their new found nearness and mutual understanding.

This time, it was Fishlegs who stopped them from doing any more, though he did catch them at the end of their hug. Fortunately, it wasn't _that_ uncommon for Astrid to hug Hiccup. Fishlegs decided he must have done something nice and shrugged it off. "Hey guys? I was wondering if you could help me with something?" he asked, completely missing the blushes on their cheeks as they separated fully. "I need to gather ingredients needed for the race paint. None of the others are willing to help, and it'll take me all day to get it all and make all that paint by myself."

"Sure 'Legs, we'll help, right, Astrid?" Hiccup turned to look at Astrid.

"Of course," Astrid nodded, sharing a look with him.

"Great! Thank you so much!" Fishlegs grinned with relief. They went off to gather the ingredients needed. Normally they would have gotten paint already made from Johann, but he hadn't arrived yet for his regular visit and they couldn't wait. The ingredients weren't too difficult to gather and not too difficult to assemble either. Once they got what they needed, they went back to the academy and sat there with everything spread about them, sifting, crushing, and mixing ingredients until the oily paint was prepared. "I think we'll have a good batch this year!" Fishlegs hummed happily.

"Maybe next time we should get enough for a couple years in advanced, that way it's less of a stress to worry about before a race," Hiccup suggested, mixing his red paint together.

"Hmm, that's a good idea," Fishlegs nodded.

Hiccup glanced up then when Astrid, who sat in front of him, scratched at an itch on her face and smiled thoughtfully. Astrid had been focused on stirring orange paint up when she jumped in surprise, feeling Hiccup's hand cup her face. Her eyes shot up to his, her heart once again doing marathons in her chest. "It's um, a little early to apply racing paint, don't you think..?" he asked playfully, lopsided grin at full power as he wiped the paint off her face. Astrid bit her lip and leaned into his touch, watching with increased heart beats as his eyes softened tenderly. His hand slowed and he let it rest on her cheek, simply stroking it now. Astrid's eyes shut blissfully, feeling like she had slipped into Valhala with just this.

"Ow! Oh no, Meatlug!"

Astrid and Hiccup started in surprise and jerked their attention to Fishlegs, having completely forgotten he was even there. Hiccup removed his hand and Astrid had to try very hard not to grab it and keep it where it had been. Sighing inwardly in resignation, she glanced back at Fishlegs, who was trying to save some of the paint Meatlug had accidentally stepped on and knocked over. "What happened?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Meatlug wanted a closer look I think. Come on, girl, you have to be more careful," Fishlegs gently reprimanded her. Meatlug gave him a forlorn look, crooning sadly. "Aww, I can't stay mad at you," Fishlegs gushed and hugged her, who nuzzled back affectionately. Fortunately they managed to finish before it got dark and stored all the prepared paint in the large room that used to house some of the dragons, though it was now mostly used as a storehouse for academy purposes. As Hiccup and Astrid made their way back, they cast lingering, longing looks at each other before parting ways to their own homes.

The next day, there was a sort of... tension between them which neither knew the origin of, only that they were both very distracted throughout the day. Maybe it was all those little signs of affection they showed each other. Maybe it was the frequencies of kisses they sneaked in when they had blessed minutes alone. Maybe it was the hormones between them. Hel, maybe it was her imagination, but Astrid felt like today might be a problem, at least a problem with concentrating.

Somehow, they were progressing quickly, even though they had only been in a... relationship... for a little over half a week. Even so, it still seemed like the more they tried to sneak around, the more they wanted more. The more they showed each other with little things that they were interested, the more they couldn't get enough. Astrid should have known that Hiccup had an impatient passion inside him from the experiences in the future... she just hadn't realized he had it even now, when he was still too shy to even initiate a kiss again. Of course, Astrid was _not_ about to start complaining about the speed or ease in which they fell into their _relationship._ And gods, it was so nice to be able to call it that.

At one point, Astrid and Hiccup were competing once again with their dragons and Astrid managed to catch Hiccup off guard, blowing a kiss at him. It was a risky move, both because it distracted _her_ too, and because she had to twist around in her seat haphazardly to do so. Fortunately, it had the desired affect. Hiccup turned red and gave her a dazed look, distracted enough for Astrid to be able to rush by him with Stormfly. "See you at the finish line, babe!" she crowed.

Toothless snorted and twisted his head, slapping his human across the face with his ear flaps to try and snap him out of it. Hiccup winced in pain and scowled at his dragon. "I know, I know, she's taking advantage of... uh..." he blushed again. "Our _relationship,_ " he grinned, feeling giddy at being able to label them as such. Toothless snorted again, giving him a look. "Okay! Jeez," he chuckled and clicked a setting in the saddle, speeding off with Toothless to catch up to his wayward... girlfriend... and there he was, blushing again. Fortunately he was too focused on passing her to center his thoughts on the _very_ pleasant notion that she was his _girlfriend_. He sped by her then, laughing when she cursed. "Not today, milady!" he called to her, glancing back to smirk at her.

Astrid nearly slipped off her dragon this time, her heart in her throat. Gods, every single time he called her that, she felt like she would die of girly feelings. She huffed and tried to catch up, but no matter how heartily Stormfly was fed, she was simply not as aerodynamic as the Night Fury and his sleek rider. "This isn't over," Astrid grumbled, though she couldn't keep the fond smile off her face when he and Toothless started twirling and laughing happily in the air.

This time, Astrid waited for Hiccup to finish away from the forge, not needing more distractions today than she already had, knowing seeing his _amazingly_ attractive metalworking habits would undo her today. So she carried on with her own chores, agonizing over the seconds before she could see him again. Once she was finally finished with the errands she was sent on and more dock work with her father, she went over to the academy, hacking at targets and trying new moves while she waited. She had to wonder why Gobber seemed to have been giving him so much more work lately. It seemed he barely had any time to himself at all lately.

The only reason she took on as much work as she did now was because otherwise she'd spend the entire day at the forge! That would be a bad idea, for both her _and_ Hiccup, since she knew very well that she distracted him. It was odd though, Gobber didn't used to make him work so much, but maybe it was Gobber's own way of trying to get some more bulk on the stick-figure form of his. Astrid didn't think it was that bad, but she couldn't deny she had been noticing the changes... and liking it quite a lot.

Hiccup's chest was starting to push on his armor and his arms were just a little thicker than before. He wasn't, say, Snothlout's level of physical appearance, but she knew he was strong. He had the body of a swimmer or a runner, lithe but very strong with tightly condensed muscles. Freyja, and they were magnificent. Memories of how up close and personal she had gotten to his _magnificence_ made that irritatingly familiar tingle heat up inside her. Astrid swallowed thickly, trying to get moisture back to the desert that was now her throat. Thor almighty, this was why Astrid couldn't wait at the forge today! She was getting herself worked up and she wasn't even there to watch him this time!

Once she got tired of brutally decimating her targets, she went back and decided to wait by but not _in_ the forge. Fortunately she didn't have to wait long and soon enough she saw Gobber hobbling his way out of the blacksmith shop. Knowing it was safe to meet with him, Astrid slipped inside then, grinning when she saw that he was waiting for her, his apron hanging up and him casually leaning against the anvil. The moment he saw her, he stood straighter and met her half way again. When Astrid reached him, she was already out of breath, much too overcome with her excitement to see him again. Neither of them knew who reached for the other first, but soon enough they were kissing.

Astrid gasped slightly when she felt his tongue graze her bottom lip. This was new, she never thought he had it in him to make the first move like this! Whatever tension she had been feeling, it was obvious he was feeling it too and Astrid couldn't stop the tingle this time. Astrid moaned in surprised pleasure, knowing it made him blush but simply unable to stop it, at the same time hoping it encouraged him. Luckily, it did just that. She tried not to swoon like some frilly princess, but it was difficult when he was methodically exploring her mouth with his tongue. Gods above. Astrid let him probe for a bit, shivering and resisting the urge to return the kiss too eagerly, not wanting to seem too experienced.

When he pressed against hers however, there was nothing on Thor's green Earth that could stop her. As soon as they pressed against each other, the world around them burned away. The sensation of the first true kiss between them, lips slanting, mouths opening wider, teeth grazing slightly, breaths lost... in a word, it was _electrifying_. Oxygen was overrated anyway. Astrid's fingers dug greedily into his hair, tugging him harder, desperate for more, her other hand reaching to the back of his neck, keeping him firmly in place. Their tongues rubbed one another and at the same time, Hiccup's hands seemed to attain a will of their own, sliding down her hips and getting dangerously low. And then they were lost to each other, stumbling back as they lost all motor functions, and knocked into a wall with tools.

The loud clang and clatter of the tools falling to the floor made them gasp and pull apart, breathless and panting, faces completely red. It took a few seconds to actually get back rational thought to their heads. "Maybe... we shouldn't... make out... here..?" Hiccup suggested with strained breathing. "Kind of dangerous..?"

Astrid resisted the irritating urge to giggle like a fool, settling instead for grinning weakly. "You're probably right..." she agreed, just as winded, having to keep a hand over his arm for support so she didn't buckle over her weak legs and crash to the floor. She had _not_ expected the kiss to be as... intense as this. It had been... there were very few words to describe the potency of what had just happened, but none of those words seemed strong enough. "Anyway, um... I should probably... go," she said reluctantly, biting her lip.

Hiccup gave her what she could only describe as a pout and it just made her want to kiss him again. So she did. With a grin she tugged him back, running both hands through his glorious hair. The kiss was slower this time, more meaningful, and they let their feelings for each other pour into it. Just as she had once described, Hiccup kissed with his whole body, pushing in and angling his head forward. _Freyja_ , how could someone master a skill so quickly? It was mind-boggling! Hiccup _really_ _was_ a gift from the gods sent to torment and please her, he had to be, it was the only explanation she had to why he could drive her so completely out of her mind. With lost breaths once again, they pulled away from each other, letting their hands slide as Astrid stepped away from him. "See you tomorrow," she smiled weakly.

Hiccup's eyes shimmered again in that tender way of his. "Until then, milady," he smiled. Astrid shut her eyes tight, willing her heart to give her a break and slow down. She couldn't look back at him now, or she'd never make it to her house. That night, Astrid wasn't able to stop herself from reliving that kiss, remembering the feel of his arms around her, trapping her against him, his hands sliding down her body, his tongue stroking her until her senses left her.

Overcome, she wasn't able to stop the gasp from the amount of desire coursing through her veins. Not wanting to make it more difficult for herself, and honestly not able to stop herself, Astrid hid her face in her pillow, much like she did months ago, and tried to ease the physical heated need for him. She whimpered his name into her pillow once again, trying to stay silent and wishing he was there. This time, even though it was still unreasonably unsatisfying, she felt a lot calmer, reassured that in the future, maybe, she wouldn't have to suffer alone like this again.

As always, as sleep took her, her mind drifted to him. It _always_ drifted to him, simply wishing for his arms around her, if nothing else.

The next day was the day before the big race. There was a lot of last minute preparations to make, a lot of excitement, and a lot of getting the twins to stop trying to change the rules so they could split sheep in half. Snotlout made final tests of his sheep catapult, letting his cousin make tweaks and adjustments so it worked without jamming. All the activity in the day gave Hiccup a break from the forge, but it didn't leave them time to themselves. That evening, Astrid pretended to not look like she was deliberately choosing to sit next to Hiccup at the Great Hall. They were still best friends though, so it wasn't that strange that they would sit together all the time.

They sat together and listened to Stoick telling the village stories of battles he had as a boy against warring villages, exaggerating the details. Hiccup rolled his eyes at his father's boasting, though he was much more interested in the woman sitting next to him. Yes, even though they were still best friends, they were much more now. Astrid slid her hand closer to Hiccup's over the bench under the table. Hiccup smiled without looking at her. Their hands were right next to each other beneath the table now, but soon their fingers overlapped, caressing and stroking gently, meaningfully. They shared a glance then, smiling shyly, trying not to be noticed. It was little moments like these, that Astrid held closest to her heart.

Finally the day of the race arrived. Early that morning the riders all disappeared to psych themselves up, make final preparations, paint themselves for the 'battle' and get in a final prayer to the gods to let them win. With no surprise whatsoever, Astrid and Hiccup found themselves together, eagerly taking the opportunity to spend a little time together. Astrid took the chance to finally do what she had been wanting to for a few races already, and very carefully applied Hiccup's paint for him, using both her thumbs to stroke the lines across his cheeks. "There, ready to race," she grinned.

Hiccup beamed at her. "Thank you," he said in appreciation, then picked up some blue paint. "Okay, now it's your turn," he declared, stepping a little closer.

Astrid blushed shyly. "You... don't have to, it's pretty complicated."

Hiccup tilted his head slightly. "Don't worry, I know just how it looks on you," he told her, in a way letting her know he studied her face paint, or rather her face, often enough to memorize how it was applied. "Come here..?" he asked gently.

Astrid bit her lip but moved closer, holding her breath as he dipped his fingers in the blue paint, then reached over and dipped his thumb in some orange paint. It wasn't that she didn't want him to touch her, _on the contrary_ , it was that if he let her apply her paint, which required a _lot_ of surface area to cover and some time, she didn't know if she could remain motionless for too long, feeling his wonderful hands on her like that. Still, it was too tempting to resist so she held still as he reached for her, stepping just a little closer to both make her breath catch in her throat, and make the work a little easier for him.

Hiccup traced two of his fingers very delicately over the curves of her cheeks, sliding across her skin in an achingly deliberate manner. Astrid wasn't sure why it was making her heart race like it was, but she couldn't slow it down and had trouble keeping herself still. "Astrid, don't squirm, you're making this take longer," he murmured, his lip quirking up.

"You're doing this on purpose!" she accused him.

"Never," he laughed softly. "Oops, I messed up, got your nose," he smiled and used his pinky to wipe it clean. "Okay, hold still," he chuckled at her impatient expression. By now he knew it didn't mean she was going to beat him up. As he had discovered yesterday, after dinner when they said _goodnight_ , he had made a joke, he thought was funny, but she had given him an impatient look, just like the one she still wore, right before yanking him down for a kiss.

Astrid tried to sit still, tried to not notice the feel of his fingers deliberately skirting just under her lips, where they had no business going at the moment, seeing that concentrated, intense look in his eyes, but... she couldn't stop herself. Astrid lost it and she found herself grabbing him and kisses him. Hiccup chuckled in the kiss, as though having expected it. They wasted no time pulling on each other, oblivious to the world around them when they were drowning themselves into eager, hungry mouths.

When they managed to pry their lips away then, gasping breathlessly, they took one look at each other and had to brace themselves against each other as laughter erupted between them, their paint having smeared over each other comically. After recovering their heads, they wiped their faces and restarted the process. This time Hiccup was a little faster and Astrid didn't attack him. Once they were finished, they grinned and wished each other luck and headed over to their impatient dragons, who saw the whole exchange with mild interest.

They first made sure the catapult was in working order, testing it one more time. Astrid hinted to Hiccup that she liked red on him, hoping he'd take it to heart and one day choose to wear more of it. Of course, she couldn't help teasing him and complimenting Toothless instead, finding the pout that appeared on his face too adorable. The glance he gave her let her know he'd want an apology for that later, which she had to bite and lip and smile at. They teased each other a little more, or rather, made fun of Snotlout for thinking he had made up Dragon Racing. They made sure everything was in working order, and they sped off to the race.

In the end, Hiccup had once again _accidentally_ helped Astrid win the race, earning a smack from her. "I can win my own races," she said in a grumble, though couldn't help kissing his cheek when no one was looking in appreciation. "I knew something was odd about the race last year, you sneak, you've been letting me win..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hiccup denied cheekily. There was much cheering and celebration after the race. And later on, as predicted, because he was free of forge duties, Hiccup had the opportunity to corner her, tugging her gently between two houses. Astrid raised an interested brow and followed him. "That wasn't very nice, what you said before the race..."

"What can I say? Toothless _does_ look good in red," Astrid grinned.

"Astrid..." Hiccup whined, giving her that damn pout again.

Astrid bit her lip, trying to resist him. "Yes..?"

"I think I deserve an apology," Hiccup smiled shyly.

Astrid pretended to think about it. "What can I do to earn your forgiveness then?" she asked playfully.

Hiccup leaned in and Astrid lost her breath. His eyes were half-lidded and his lips were twisted into a knowing smirk. "Kiss me," he whispered, not caring if she took offense to the order, much too full of adrenaline to think clearly about his decisions.

Astrid felt a shudder of pleasure run through her at the very commanding tone he used. He almost never used that tone, and much less when they were alone together. It was a hint of the assertive side Astrid knew he had in him and it _still_ managed to make her quiver. Unable to resist him, not able to deny him, Astrid slid her hands over his shoulders, one threading through his locks, the other tugging him to her.

Their lips parted before they even touched, mouths slowly but deeply delving into each other, tongues dragging over each other in an intoxicating dance that left them enthralled with each other. The longer the week got, the more they kissed, the harder it was beginning to stop. As they kissed, Astrid was pleasantly surprised once again when Hiccup slid his hands over her, up and down her arms, slow and deliberate. She shivered and pressed closer, but just as they began to drown into their eagerness, he abruptly pulled away, smiling teasingly.

"What- where are you going..?" Astrid asked breathlessly, watching him back away, eyes still fixed on hers.

Hiccup smiled mischievously. "That was a good apology," he began teasingly. "But next time, you're going to have a to try a little harder to make it up to me," he said simply, before quite literally sprinting away before she could retaliate. Astrid stood there with a mild bit of shock. Sure he ran off, but the 'little' twerp was starting to tease her without his usual fear of retribution!

Astrid laughed softly, smiling fondly at his retreat. This would be fun.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Okay, I might have lied a little, this was also a fast update lol! I'm totally spoiling you lot. Yay! Happier times! Finally, good god, it's about damn time. Two years! It took Hiccup two years to find his balls and kiss her, damn it! Lol. The kisses are getting more and more intense and it's only been a week lol. I wanted to show a progression here of levels of comfort with each other. I hope I got that across. Also, I finished writing this at five in the morning, so there WILL be typos... I will fix them whenever I wake up again._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Looks like he was the one baiting this time lol._

 _ **British1994:** I needed to get through all the angst anyway lol._

 _ **Flowersandcreampuffs:** Thank you! I hope you liked it! _

_**hana0maru:** Lol, I'm glad I can keep you from going to sleep when you originally intended!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Crystalfilm" by Little Dragon._

* * *

It was starting to become a problem.

An _amazing_ problem, but a problem still.

Astrid and Hiccup had been 'courting' for a month and a half now. The first week together had been amazing, and it had been eye opening as well, with increasing levels of need to be together each day. Astrid had known that Hiccup had a crush on her when they were young, but his ever increasing level of enthusiasm made her lose her breath.

Now it was nearly impossible to keep to themselves and they were beginning to feel a tension growing between them. The problem was that Astrid simply could not stop herself from finding every opportunity she could to yank him somewhere and kiss him. Hiccup wasn't much better, he still didn't start it, but he did give her hopeful looks and baited her whenever he had the chance. Actually, _any_ chance they got they found themselves delving deeply into each others mouths, greedily and with abandon. The fact that he wanted this just as much as her, or more if his enthusiasm was any indication, made it impossible to get him off her mind, so she gave up trying.

It was simply becoming hopeless for them to try and stop themselves or to slow down. Their lips seemed like unavoidable magnets, eternally attracted to one another. As it had been before for her, Astrid simply couldn't get enough of him. He was very good at learning any skill rapidly, and he made damn sure to learn this one... and learn it amazingly he did. What made it 'worse' was that Hiccup was starting to get overeager and handsy as well, and Astrid felt a rush from that so great that it kept her up most nights.

Despite how hesitant she was to take advantage of what she knew he liked from her experiences, Astrid still took a special delight in being able to surprise and fluster him, even when she was still the one taking the initiative to kiss the first time. During the day when they were surrounded by people, they tried to maintain a strict friends only attitude between them, though it slipped every now and then. When they found time alone though, that little farce went right out the window. It was also a problem because most of the time they ran risks of being caught, and almost did a few times now.

They were both glad that most of the Vikings on Berk decided to put away the tradition of marriage contracts, forcing people to wed and sometimes between tribes, but what with the whole advantage of Dragons in their tribe and all, they decided against it. That didn't mean it was exactly smiled upon for them to be as feverish as they were becoming without at least promising themselves to each other officially.

It put a bit of a strain on them because they wanted to let their friends know they were together, mostly though to rub it in Snotlout's face. However, they also knew that most of them wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut and tell someone, and someone that probably would do better without knowing. So they kept their relationship a secret for now, simply enjoying the comfort of being able to slip into each others arms when they had time to themselves. It was therapeutic, being able to simply embrace each other and chase away all the irritation, stress, and ache the day brought them. It was their own relief and they didn't really feel like sharing it anyway.

Besides liking the fact that it was a secret between them, there were still a few Vikings among them that would _not_ approve of such a 'loose' relationship, at least in terms of not being made publicly official. They knew they would try to bind them to a contract, and as much as they loved each other, though neither of them said so to each other yet, they didn't want to be forced into something out of their own free will. They wanted to do things naturally... so they would keep silent about it for now, hide away.

Astrid couldn't care less about those traditions and customs like those, in her opinion feeling like they were archaic, so last decade, and her love for Hiccup would not be bound by their rules that easily. She didn't want to be told what to do, and didn't want Hiccup to suffer any form of disappointed looks from anyone. No, they would keep it a secret for now, until they chose to make it public. Now if she could just make him realize he had nothing to fear from her, things could get a little more interesting... quietly of course, but interesting.

One morning, after having finished with academy duties, drill, and lesson early, they all split up for lunch that time. Of course, Astrid wouldn't pass up the chance of spending more time with Hiccup before he was swept away to his job that afternoon. And so they decided to grab a quick bite of bread and cheese for lunch and spent the rest of the time sitting by the dragon stables, overlooking the coast in peace. Fortunately the spot they chose was usually traffic free, besides, they were just calmly sitting next to each other, so if someone did spot them, it wouldn't look too out of the ordinary.

They did, however, sit very close, with Hiccup bracing his hands behind them and Astrid all but pressed against his side. It still amazed them how far they were now from how they had been just last year, back then still too shy to even do this much, sitting almost hip to hip with each other. Even this much brought a soothing calm to Astrid's bruised heart. The more time she spent with Hiccup, the more her heartache healed and she began to truly relax and find herself. Her mind calmed and she could think clearly, without the incessant hurt to distract her all the time.

Astrid glanced over at her entirely too silent boyfriend curiously then, still feeling a special little thrill at being able to refer to him as such. "You in there, Haddock?" she quietly asked, her tone teasing, trying to snap him out of his thoughts.

Hiccup was currently staring out into the far off horizon, with an almost dazed, thoughtful expression. He blinked and then looked down, regarding her. "Hm? Oh, yeah, just tired I guess," he shrugged casually, then winced slightly, "Gobber's been giving me heavier work loads lately. I'm not sure why he's been doing that so much recently, but I've been tired and sore all over, for weeks..." he sighed, taking his other hand to rub his sore neck.

Astrid, watched him for a second, momentarily distracted, wondering if she could find the time to ease the tension in his shoulders. She grinned thoughtfully then, not able to pass up the chance to tease him. "Maybe it's his way of trying to get some meat on that bag of bones you call a body..." she suggested playfully.

Hiccup huffed, chest pushing out rather nicely in an attempt to seem bigger, and frowned in mock indignation. "I'll have you know I'm not that skinny anymore! I'm pretty strong now, you know," he argued with a drawl.

Astrid completely agreed with him, but she couldn't help the mischief, and nodded slowly. "Oh sure, sure, you can totally lift your hammer now without buckling under its weight, good job," she smirked.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he stared her down, and Astrid had to bite her lip to keep from grinning too widely at the retaliatory expression. Hiccup was usually pretty chill and almost a little nervous with her still, but sometimes he let himself relax and was actually very fun. As it happened sometimes, before she knew it, he had pounced, leaning over quickly to try and tickle her. Astrid shrieked, laughing as she tried to wiggle away from him, rolling out of reach.

Hiccup growled playfully as he followed, trying to trap her beneath him. "Hold still!" he laughed.

"No way!" Astrid giggled, trying to bat his hands away.

Hiccup then went on to prove he wasn't so weak anymore, grabbing her flailing limbs and pushing her down. "I don't appreciate the jab to my pride, milady!" he laughed, struggling to get her to stay still, pinning her beneath him. She was still very strong so it was a little difficult, but soon enough he managed it and wore her out. His hands were on either side of her now, his legs almost straddling hers. They took a second to catch their breaths, still laughing a little.

When they realized the position they found themselves in however, they flushed deeply. If he pushed his hips down just a little, they would be touching. Astrid knew it was a bad idea to think it, but she wondered what he would do if she wrapped her legs around his waist. To Astrid's surprise, Hiccup still hadn't retreated like he might have just a few months ago. He was learning fast. Instead he stayed where he was, propped above her, gazing down at her with a not so subtle look of wonderment. Astrid could see quite a few conflicting emotions pass through his eyes, one of which made her hold back a gasp of surprise. Was he already at that stage..?

Astrid bit her lip again as he searched her eyes intensely, feeling a rush of excitement from his gaze and the tempting position they were in. Normally her mind would take her to painful memories, the kind that made her heart ache, but lately they hadn't been harassing her so much... maybe because the new memories she was making with _her_ Hiccup were so much more powerful, even with just little things, they were so much more meaningful. She didn't seem to need those memories of _him_ much anymore. Why would she if he was there, with her?

Astrid gazed right back up at him, lost in his gorgeous eyes, unable to look away. "So... what are you... waiting for..?" she asked shyly, breathlessly, reaching up to stroke his cheek, caressing the rapidly sharpening lines of his handsome face. Hiccup's eyes softened in that beautiful way of his and he began to lean in, his body dipping down and for the hundredth time just that day, her breath caught and her heart sprinted in her chest, shivers running through her.

"Hiccup? Where are you, boy?" Stoick's voice rang through the air.

"Maybe he's gone this way?" Gobber's voice sounded next.

Hiccup's head jerked up at the direction of the voices and panic filtered through his eyes. "Oh no, come on, come on, follow me," he said, scrambled to get up and tugging on her hand to follow him. "Come on, my dad's been driving me crazy lately, we need to find some place... here, this will do," he said, pulling her with him.

"Alright- wait, Hiccup, what's-" Astrid sighed when he didn't stop to explain himself better and ran with him, letting him lead her by the hand. They ran to the closest building to them, which was the stables, and Astrid soon found herself being pressed against him very closely as they hid behind a pillar, just on time to hear Stoick and Gobber's voices pass by them. The dragons there were giving them curious looks, but Astrid was much more interested in how Hiccup held her very securely, flush against him. If she wasn't mistaken, he was doing this on purpose... not that she minded whatsoever, of course.

Once the men went on by and the sounds of their voices dulled with distance, Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief and almost slumped against the beam. "That was close," he muttered, hands absentmindedly sliding over her back to pull her a little closer, trapping her against him.

Astrid was still very much enjoying the feeling of being pressed against him, more so with how he seemed to want more and gods, was it difficult to concentrate, but perhaps she was enjoying this a little more than was appropriate at the moment. "So... what's up?" she asked after clearing her throat, trying to distract herself, trying to resist moving her hands from the spot they rested pleasantly on his chest. Hiccup's hands continued to rub her back a little and Astrid found her eyes rolling slightly at the incredibly hypnotic feeling. He _was_ doing that on purpose.

Hiccup grunted in mild irritation, not even actually noticing what he was doing to her, his head hitting the back of the pillar. "My dad's been trying to get me to follow him around Berk and do chiefly duties with him," he explained with another sigh.

Astrid's eyes widened. "But that's great!" she said cheerfully. "It's a great honor, I'm happy for you! The chief's putting in more of an effort to mold you as the future chief! That's fantastic!" she grinned happily.

Hiccup shifted a little, stopping his rubbing. "I guess..." he said wearily, not at all feeling like it was as amazing as she clearly felt it was, not feeling like he was up to snuff for the job to begin with. "Sure, it's a great honor I suppose and it does mean he's accepted me fully and with all my faults, and that is really good and all, but it also means that I'll have less time to go out and try to find new dragons, explore and... spend time with you..." he added with a grin.

Astrid smiled back softly. "Well, at least we found a nice place to sneak away this time?" she observed, looking about the large antechamber, currently devoid of Vikings.

"Hm," Hiccup hummed, looking about and then at the very large doors on the other side of the pillar. "I'm not sure how long it'll stay that way," he mentioned. "There has got to be a better way for getting away..."

Astrid glanced at the dragons and thought about it. "Maybe there is..?" she said, gesturing to the dragons.

Hiccup looked over and got the hint. "I'm not sure if Toothless or Stormfly will appreciate being used like that..." he reasoned.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "They'll get over it. They need to get used to the idea of us together anyway," she added without the typical shy smile. It was funny how it hadn't even been two months yet and they were already completely comfortable with each other. Then again, when one had their mouths thoroughly tongue-ravaged as often as they did with each other, it brought on a pretty rapid familiarity.

Hiccup blushed but grinned right back, very much getting used to the idea himself as well. "Alright, I'm game if you are," he agreed eagerly. "We should try to find them and leave quick before I'm spotted though."

"What, now?" Astrid asked in surprise.

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, yeah! Gobber can wait a little longer, he doesn't _really_ need my help all the time anyway. I think I deserve a little break from all the work I put in, don't you..?" he asked with a wide, hopeful smile.

Astrid laughed and tugged at his hand this time. "Then we better be quick!" they crept through Berk, trying to find where the two dragons had bounded off to play, having gotten bored when their riders were too wrapped up with themselves to pay attention to them. They found Stormfly first, helping herself to a basket of fish left out in the open. "Stormfly! You know you shouldn't steal!" Astrid sighed, earning a guilty trill from the Nadder. "I bet Toothless put you up to this, didn't he?"

"Hey! My Night Fury is a perfectly responsible dragon, thank you very much," Hiccup protested. "That's it, you can't just talk badly about Toothless, this relationship is over," he teased with a chuckle.

"Oh no, that's too bad," Astrid shrugged, trying to play it cool right back.

"Really? Just like that?" Hiccup blinked.

"What more do you want?" Astrid asked, trying to keep the grin from ruining her mock serious expression.

Hiccup shoulders went up as usual, arms swinging with the overly dramatic motions. "Oh I don't know, some begging, some pleading, some crying would be nice..?" he grinned brashly.

Astrid snorted, eyes narrowing slightly. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she asked, unable to keep the grin from her face now.

Hiccup beamed at her. "Absolutely," he chuckled. "Oh, there he is... uh..." he trailed off, a blush on his face.

Astrid glanced over and saw Toothless with an incriminating fish poking out of his mouth some ways away, a few more at his feet. "Uh huh, perfectly responsible," she snorted.

"Toothless..." Hiccup sighed. Said dragon happily ambled over and regurgitated half the fish for him. "Ugh... uh, thanks but no, already had lunch..." Hiccup cringed. Both him and Astrid gagged then when Stormfly stepped over and slurped up the slimy gunk. "Ugh, come on you two, we've got places to go, overbearing fathers to escape from!" Hiccup said, climbing up onto his saddle. Toothless warbled happily, eager to go on a flight. Stormfly responded just as enthusiastic, trilling with excitement.

"Hiccup! There you are!" Stoick said as he rounded the corner.

"Crap, Astrid, come on, follow my lead," Hiccup whispered to her. "Uh, hey dad! Sorry, we have to go! Very important... something we have to take care of! I'll be back later though, promise! Okay bye!" Hiccup gestured to Astrid and soon they were both up in the air with a swish of the dragons' wings.

"What! Hold on a moment! Where are- Hiccup!" Stoick called in confusion, watching his son take off quickly. "What is wrong with that boy lately?" he muttered to himself. Gobber stepped up next to him and snorted in amusement, but kept his opinion to himself.

Meanwhile, Hiccup breathed out a loud sigh of relief. Astrid grinned in amusement at him. "Oh come on, Hiccup, it can't be that bad?"

"Oh it is. But come on, there's this place I found east of here that I'd like to show you," he said, leading her over the mountains to the other side of the large island, near the cove. They flew a ways and Astrid smiled when Hiccup and Toothless began to circle up and over her and Stormfly. Nudging her Nadder on, they responded back with their own twist in the air, and soon their were spiraling around each other as they coasted, grinning up at each other as they flew. Toothless and Stormfly were happy to part of the game, growling with excitement as they circled one another. Soon enough though, they reached the destination and Hiccup led them to a grassy part of Berk to land on.

Astrid recognized this a little, remembering this to be one of the locations Hiccup had placed a target near when they practiced the swap and fire drill last year. "This is really nice, Hiccup," she smiled, looking over the cliff to the ocean.

Hiccup sat on the grassy knoll and lifted his hand toward her, biting his lip, his eyes swimming with invitation. Astrid blushed right back but took the offer and his hand, letting him tug her snug to his side. They watched as their dragons seemed to almost roll their eyes before bouncing off to play. Astrid leaned in a little closer to him, shutting her eyes with a contented sigh, basking in his warmth, feeling his arm behind her, pressing against her back where he braced himself. She felt his hand slide over her cheek then, rubbing her cheek bone and she opened her eyes, looking up at him. She saw the beckoning look in his before leaning in a little. Hiccup took delight when she blushed at his nearness, loving that he could actually do that to her.

Astrid grinned then, shocking him a little when she slid over and onto his lap. He swallowed thickly, eyes wide. Astrid raised a brow and tugged at him, noticing how hesitant he seemed all of a sudden. She leaned a little and was surprised when he still seemed much more nervous than usual, shaking slightly. She frowned curiously. "Hiccup, what's wrong..?" she asked, not at all liking how he regressed back to before they started courting.

Hiccup flushed in embarrassment. "I um... n-nothing..." he responded.

Astrid tilted her head in confusion and slid a little closer to him, watching with interest as his eyes closed for a second, his head tilting back slightly before shuddering and looking back over at her pleadingly. She understood then, he was trying not to touch her, hold her, react to her... he was trying to be a gentleman. Nope, this wouldn't do.

"Hiccup, you don't have to hold yourself back," Astrid told him as patiently and as clearly as she could. His eyes widened at that. "You.. don't need to fear um, retribution from me if you... touched me," she blushed, matching his own colored cheeks now. "I'd like it if you relaxed a little more?" she said softly. "I said it before... confidence is sexy, and so is boldness so um... if you gave in to... your uh, _impulses_... I wouldn't mind," she admitted with a deeper flush. She had basically just told him he was free to have his way with her... oh gods.

"Um..." Hiccup squirmed slightly, eyes full of hope and uncertainties.

Astrid sighed at the sight of his insecurities still trying to poke through his developing confidence. He had been making such excellent progress recently, she couldn't afford to let him retreat, so she went on. "You're fun when you act wild and carefree normally... I'd like if you did that in _every_ aspect. You can relax with me, okay..?" she probed gently, reaching over to stroke his cheek comfortingly.

Hiccup took a breath, surprised by what he was hearing and very much thrilled. "The only reason... I haven't been, uh, you know... doing more... and now too..." he blushed again then cleared his throat. "I haven't done so because I was afraid you'd..."

"Hit you..?" Astrid guessed with a raised brow again.

"Yes..." Hiccup admitted.

Astrid sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to come off looking like I'll hit you all the time. Hiccup, I love spending time with you and I love when you get... eager..." she fought to stay calm, but it was a losing battle. "You don't have to worry about my _wrath_. If I didn't want you... touching me, I wouldn't be with you, would I?"

"I um, I guess not..?" Hiccup agreed with a little grin, visibly relaxing.

Astrid nodded, feeling relieved she was getting through to him. "You're my boyfriend," she went on, grinning again when he blushed further. "It's within your rights to touch me... and kiss me too, you know. I'll admit, it's a little frustrating that I'm almost always the one to start the kiss. Your shyness is getting in the way of what could be a lot of fun, I think. So... you know, you can kiss me, when you like... if you want..." she finished, biting her lip bashfully.

"...Really..?" Hiccup asked, looking like a kid who was treated to all the candy he could get his hands on.

Astrid laughed at the almost boyish excitement on his face. "Yes, really," she smiled affectionately, blushing just as much as he was and squirming a little at how intently he was looking at her now.

Hiccup noticed that she was a little flustered and smiled happily again, feeling relieved that he wouldn't be punished. "Thank you, Astrid... for letting me know. I promise I'll try harder to..." he grinned then, trying on that more intense attitude he had been tinkering with and she seemed to like. "...Give in to my _impulses_ ," he finished with an almost purr, taking delight at how flustered his words made her then, watching her bite her lip, look away and turn a deeper shade of red. He leaned over then, drawing her attention to him again, the pleasant flush still on her cheeks. He had every intention of trying his luck and working on getting past his shyness, like she suggested.

Astrid's breath hitched as he got closer, pulling her close so he could tilt them forward, gently pushing her down with him on the grassy hill. He shifted over her, getting comfortable, and her throat dried. Hiccup all but straddled her, just as he had earlier that day, before they had to hide from the chief. His hands rested on either side of her, legs on either side of her own, and he began leaning oh so very close. This time there was no one to hide from and he was given express permission to, well, pretty much do whatever he wanted... to her. Oh Freyja, what had she done? Without restraint Astrid knew well how intense he could get, and shivered hotly at the thought. Oh, oh this was both problematic and extremely amazing at the same time.

Hiccup leaned in further over her, lips just barely ghosting over hers now. Without fear of getting hurt now, he boldly placed his hand on her outer thigh, though hesitated on moving it further, still a little unsure of how she'd take his liberal exploration of her _extremely tempting_ body.

Astrid in the meantime, was having trouble breathing and struggling to keep herself from shaking too hard. She felt all her repressed desire for him rush through her, heart lodged in her throat, beating like thousands of angry drums. Freyja, he was quick. His lips hovered over hers in such a teasing way, head angled slightly, lips slanted. He was so very close, his heat wrapping around her like a snug blanket, blurring the world around her.

It was then, in that very tense moment before Hiccup decided to let his inhibitions fly out the window, hand beginning to trail a little, feeling her shiver at his touch enticingly, that their dragons choose to bound over. In and instant, their world, that had been quickly becoming intense, was flooded by copious amounts of disgusting dragon saliva. Apparently the dragons decided they had been ignored enough and went to give their riders their own kisses. "Guh!" Hiccup gagged, shoving Toothless away from him when the Night Fury knocked him right off of Astrid.

Although she was more than a little frustrated that Hiccup missed a _very_ nice chance to be bold with her, just as things were starting to really heat up, Astrid couldn't help laughing and hugging the Deadly Nadder back. "Stormfly!" she scolded halfheartedly. Thor damn it, just when it was getting _unbelievable_ , too. Just a little more and she would have been swimming in gut-quivering kisses and tingling at the feel of his hands on her.

Thor damn it.

Hiccup sighed and picked himself up off the floor, shaking the nasty dragon spit off him. "Toothless, you _know_ that doesn't wash out!" he complained, though not for the first time. "And you totally ruined the mood, bud," he scoffed softly. Toothless gave him his throaty rumbling laugh from deep in his throat. Hiccup scowled at him, but couldn't help scratching him under his chin when Toothless nuzzled his hand. "I don't think the dragons are going to give us much privacy..." he sighed.

Astrid bit her lip. "Maybe not," she reluctantly agreed. "Should we head back before we're missed..?" she asked.

"Mmf," Hiccup grunted in mild irritation. "I guess." They sighed in frustration but reluctantly flew back. They weren't sure if Stoick had been waiting or not, but as soon as they landed in the town center, Hiccup was found once again and dragged off. Astrid watched in amusement as Stoick literally steered her boyfriend to the Great Hall, droning on about him getting to take on the honor of greater responsibilities in the council now that he was of age.

Hiccup shot her a pained look but Astrid could only grin and wave at him. Hiccup's shoulder slumped and he smiled weakly back, allowing his father to guide him away. Despite how reluctant Hiccup was, Astrid still thought it was amazing how eager the chief was to mold him and prepare him to take over. She knew Hiccup had it in him to become a great chief, he just needed to see it himself. Astrid would stick by his side as long as he would let her and try to support him as best as she could.

About a week later, Astrid found herself wondering if she was crazy, having let him know he could pretty much take what he wanted from her. He didn't yank her off to kiss her like she had with him a few times, but he did sneak in kisses when she was least expecting it, and she knew that _he knew_ his nearness drove her crazy. Hiccup liked making her blush and tried to do so as often as he could, much like she had tried to fluster him... now the tables were turning on her and it left her hot and bothered and a little irritated.

Today was no better. In fact, it was a lot worse. She could feel a tension from him, a little like it had been a few days before the race, two months ago, but... worse. They sat through lessons, recapping what they knew. Of course, the twins could still not count worth anything. Hiccup would call on her a few times and stare at her so intensely it made her shift uneasily in her seat.

Feeling the irritation of being so completely taken off balance get to her, Astrid glared back at him, knowing he was trying to fluster her on purpose. The threatening stare only worked once, making him look away with a nervous blush. After that first time though, it stopped affecting him, and he'd stare right back. Maybe he was assured she wouldn't hit him and took the risk?

Astrid was tempted to smack him for distracting her, but she didn't want to set back all her hard work, so she sighed with much frustration and let him carry on. Astrid had to wonder what was up with him, and felt a shiver run through her, wondering if that expression she saw on him the other day had anything to do with it. Could he be wanting... more..?

Later on, Astrid took her usual spot at the forge, watching him work, as was her habit. Gobber calmly greeted her without looking up from his work again, completely used to her presence already. She glanced over at her one-legged Viking, noticing that he still seemed just as tense, more impatient and moody than usual, not having calmed down from that morning.

In fact, if how hard he was pounding the piece of metal on the anvil was any indication, it was worse. As much as she'd like to think he wanted what she though he might, especially since they hadn't had a lot of time together the past couple days, she didn't want to presume he was looking for _that_ just yet. For all she knew it could have been because of the chief or the increase in his work load. Then again, he was still a healthy male...

Seeing him angrily smashing his hammer down on the poor, abused metal and then making weapons squeal loudly over the sharpening stone as he put all his effort into it was quite the sight. Astrid felt her breath catch whenever he would glance up at her. He wouldn't smile, he would just give her the same intense looks he had been giving her for a while, and Astrid wasn't sure what to make of them. Just like his hints from before, those looks had been becoming more and more frequent. She had an _idea_ of what they could mean, but again, she was a little reluctant to assume things. Still, it left her squirming in her seat once again.

Right after Gobber left, Astrid sat still on the table, watching in nervous curiosity as Hiccup very calmly put his tools down. First he took his hammer and rested it on the work table behind them, followed by the tongs. Then he grabbed his apron and carefully hung it over the hook next to Gobber's. Astrid swallowed thickly, wondering what was going on in his mind, why he was being so methodical. Hiccup wiped his hands with a clean rag and then set it down. Astrid watched him take a few breaths and felt herself squirming again.

Then he turned and his eyes fixed on hers. He began walking over, calmly and steadily, his expression unreadable. Astrid bit her lip as he reached her, felt his hands slide onto her leggings as he leaned toward her. Astrid parted her legs, letting him settle between her knees. One hand slid over her cheek as he pushed forward, angling his head to capture her mouth in a slow, seductive kiss. Astrid's eyes fluttered closed, feeling his other hand continue sliding up, now under her skirt as he moved closer. It didn't stay slow for long and she soon found herself losing her breath from his enthusiasm, working his tongue thoroughly.

Hiccup pulled away then and took her hands, tugging her off the table. Astrid watched him with surprise, still tingling all over from the sensual kiss and let him lead her where he wanted. Her eyes widened when he guided her to his office. Oh gods, was she right? Were they at that stage already? As he gently pulled her into his office and shut the door, Astrid felt shivers run through her. He turned to her again and this time he wasn't slow.

Hiccup must have taken her words to him a week ago truly to heart, because the next thing she knew, he had taken two large steps, cupped her cheeks again and was plundering her mouth like she remembered the older Hiccup doing so. Astrid lost her senses in a second, not noticing when he pushed on her gently, but felt herself being pressed her against his desk then. Oh gods, the office, the table, the assertive attitude! So much for not having many memories of her experience anymore! Astrid felt her knees nearly give out from desire and from the rush of memory. The exhilarating feel of his tongue dominating her mouth didn't help either, and she had to rely on Hiccup to help hold her up.

Her mind replayed that _incident_ from long ago, remembering how he had taken her to his office, pleasured her and then right after she had been weak with her orgasm, he took advantage, pushing her belly first over his table. Astrid shuddered and tried not to make a sound as the kiss continued on. She could remember him pressing into her, swaying his body against her until she was painfully aroused. No... this wasn't good. Astrid relied then on her much stronger control over her thoughts and shoved the memories away. She wasn't however, able to do the same with the deep, sharp desire thrumming between her legs.

With a gasp, Astrid felt him lift her up then and sit her over his desk, once again settling between her legs. The memories didn't stop, only became worse, and it forced her to lose control of the whimper she had been trying to hold back, her legs shaking now, shudders rushing through her. They had to... had to stop... before she did something reckless. Oh, Astrid wasn't afraid of his control at this point, oh no, she _wanted_ him to do _just_ what he was doing. The problem was that she wasn't that timid little girl anymore and might just take advantage of _him_ if this went on for much longer...

Hiccup seemed spurred on by her little sounds though, and pressed a little harder, losing himself into the heady moment, one of his hands on her back, holding her against him, the other on her thigh once more, rubbing his thumb over her leggings rhythmically. Astrid moaned, unintentionally encouraging him, shaking as she wrapped her own arms around his shoulders, her hands digging into his hair as the pleasure of the intense kiss made her drown in him.

Astrid was very quickly losing herself, just as much as he was. The intensity of the kiss, combined with the pleasurable memories, was making her head spin, body heat up, and she felt like she couldn't get enough. Unable to stop herself and needing to feel him, her legs wrapped around his waist and she tugged his hips to her, _hard_ , bucking him into her, gasping as it spiked the heat throbbing within her all the stronger, nearly undoing her then and there.

Hiccup fell into her body with her violent jerk on his hips, forcing him to grind the painful bulge in his pants against her. He grunted in shock and moaned at the sudden friction, shaking just as hard against her. As though realizing how fast they were suddenly going, Hiccup pulled away suddenly, placing his hands on the table on either side of her, panting softly, unable to meet her gaze. "We... should probably... stop..." he gasped.

Astrid blinked back from the exhilarating kiss, trying to regain her senses, then scowled in annoyance. How could he just drive her wild like that and then just... _stop_? "You started it," she grumbled, trying to ignore the hot pounding still raging in her body.

Hiccup's head still hung. "I... I know, I know, I'm sorry..." he groaned, still shaking with barely repressed desire to continue, and damn the consequences.

Astrid let out a breath of frustration, trying to calm down. "Do not apologize, babe," she insisted, taking his face in her hands and making him look at her. "It... was really _really_ nice," she admitted, earning a weak, fledgling version of his smug grin from him. Astrid rolled her eyes, even as the fond smile made her smile poke her now thoroughly swollen lips. "You're probably right though," she sighed, agreeing reluctantly, even though she was once again completely flustered and now very aroused by what just happened.

Hiccup hesitated a moment before taking a few steps back away from the table, letting her have the space to get back to her feet. He noticed however that she was still flushed and shaking a little. Hiccup found this very interesting. "So was that better? Was that what you wanted me to do?" he asked, raising a challenging brow.

Astrid took a moment to catch her breath and glanced at him, smiling a little mischievously. "It's a start..." she grinned, and absolutely loved how he narrowed his eyes. She felt a thrill rush through her once again, knowing he was going to take that as a challenge. Just as she had predicted would happen, things were starting to get very interesting indeed.

Astrid found that her heart was nearly at a constant fast pace nowadays, feeling jittery and excited all the time. It was an unbelievably intoxicating feeling and she was thrilled that he seemed to be feeling similar. Despite very much wanting to continue this, they knew they had to separate before things got out of hand... more so than they had already. After one last, lingering kiss, much less in intensity than the previous, they reluctantly separated for the night.

A little bit over two days later, one evening, with little people around, that they stood beside a house, away from the now very light traffic as people went to grab dinner. They were saying their usual good nights, in their usual very intense way, when they were nearly caught... by Astrid's father. He hadn't noticed them, but Astrid had seen him after opening her eyes for a second during their kiss, having sensed a presence nearby. She saw him, her eyes widened, and she yanked Hiccup to the closest hiding spot she could get them to as fast as she could.

They managed to wedge themselves between two houses. Normally that wasn't a problem, most houses had enough space between each other, but these houses were a little closer together. It was a tight squeeze, but dark enough for them not to be noticed as her father walked by. "What-what's wrong?" Hiccup gasped, still recovering from the sudden jolt.

"Shh," Astrid shushed him. "Unless you want my dad to hack you to bits for touching his daughter..." she hissed. Hiccup's eyes widened comically and he sucked in his breath, trying to make as little noise as possible. Astrid rolled her eyes at the panic in his eyes. "He won't find us here, he didn't even see us, relax, I was... kind of exaggerating," she grinned.

Hiccup released his breath but still looked about ready to pass out, obviously not believing her. It was tense for a moment, since her dad seemed to be hauling crates from the docks to the storehouse between them. Astrid sighed inwardly, knowing this could take a while. Being this close to him, pressed up against him the way she was in such a tight space, did interesting things to both of them. "Hiccup... is that..?" she bit her lip, trying not to grin, even as a deep flush covered her cheeks.

Hiccup turned several shades of red. "I... I um... I'm sorry..?" he apologized weakly. "Ah... I don't... exactly have control of-of... it..?" he said, looking anywhere he could but her.

Astrid tried not to laugh at his nervousness and at the same time, tried not to react herself at the tantalizing feel of his arousal pressing against her thigh. Thor almighty, the urge to grind herself against him was like an extreme itch begging to be scratched. She couldn't do that to him though, not here, not now, not... yet. So she remained still, letting herself rest against his chest where she was pressed. "It's fine," she told him. "You don't have to freak out, it's uh... natural," she said quietly, trying to make him relax. Hiccup said nothing, much too flustered by the situation to actually speak.

Astrid was getting bored though, they had been here for about ten minutes already and his hard-on had been doing crazy things to her head. Deciding she needed a distraction, and unable to stop herself from the very tempting opportunity to fluster her boyfriend further, Astrid leaned up a little and began kissing on his neck slowly, laying hot little trails up to his jaw, sliding her tongue over the subtle swell in his throat.

Hiccup groaned low in his throat, his eyes rolling slightly. Astrid grinned at the reaction, absolutely thrilled that she had these opportunities to enjoy him like this. The wait for the coast to be clear was suddenly very entertaining. Astrid continued on, tasting his warm, spicy skin, kissing him, nipping his jaw, making him squirm and moan softly as he held his head back, completely exposing his neck to her, willingly letting her torture him. Astrid's own eyes shut in pleasure, feeling his hands slide over her hips, surprising her when they dipped under her skirt, to right next to her cheeks, rubbing her a little but not quite groping her.

Astrid's head swam at the feeling, tempted to push against him, rub herself against his tented breaches, tempted to pull his hands over and have him cup her properly. He was still a little hesitant apparently, even with how dangerous his kisses and his urgency was becoming. For now, Astrid concentrated on sucking on the juncture between his neck and shoulder, pushing his armor a little to access it better. She loved how masculine he was, thick and strong, and grinned at the notion that his neck wasn't the only part of his body in that way.

In the meantime, Hiccup was enthralled by her aggressive attack on his neck. He groaned again, pulling her closer, hearing her gasp against his throat at the pressure. The temptation to grind against her was overwhelming, but he didn't want to push his luck, especially not when her dad was _right there_. He felt her suck on his neck and his eyes rolled again, the feel of her sucking on him making him imagine other things she could do with her mouth on his body. He was beginning to overheat again, this wasn't good.

Once her father finally finished unloading supplies into the storehouse, Astrid decided to pull away from him, figuring it was safe now to leave. Before she could say anything or move an inch though, she found herself being almost thrown to the opposite wall. Hiccup had moved in a flash, pinning her against the wall and pushed his tongue down her throat like he had at the forge the other day. He thrust his tongue against hers urgently, in and out... no doubt mimicking what he wanted to do to her. Astrid's head spun at the very loud and obvious suggestive gesture, toes curling, heart racing hard enough to almost hurt, shivers spreading through her.

And then, he abruptly pulled away and stepped out of the hiding spot a little. Astrid stared incredulously at him. "What...? Where are you going..?" she asked breathlessly, still completely intoxicated by the fact he had just _ravaged_ her mouth. "Hiccup you... you can't just kiss me... like _that_ and stop!" she hissed in indignation.

Hiccup only grinned, not even bothering to hide that he was still aroused, relying on the fact that no one else was around again and he was close enough to the houses to hide the bulge in his pants. The bastard was becoming bold. "All is fair in love and war, milady," he taunted teasingly, unaware of how much his words made her breath catch again. She knew he didn't mean it the way it sounded, as they hadn't actually told each other how they felt yet, but it still stirred her heart up.

Astrid forcibly brushed those, _for now_ , useless sentiments away, not needing them to distract her. She focused instead on the obvious challenge he just issued her. "You know I'll get you back, right?" she threatened him, smirking a little.

Hiccup smiled and turned slightly toward the direction of his house. "I look forward to it," he said softly, then waved and casually strolled away.

Astrid stared at his calm retreat in astonishment. Well, she _did_ want his confidence to get better... so she might as well be happy about it! Even so, first after the races, and now this? Astrid hadn't gotten him back last time he teased her, but now this meant war. If he wanted to play 'who can fluster the other the most' she'd be more than willing to play. "It's on, babe," she said aloud, her eyes narrowing at his back.

He shouldn't have challenged a Hofferson. They were extremely competitive, after all.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Things are starting to heat up! Woo! Bad Astrid, arousing Hiccup like that lol. Hiccup's mind certainly went to some very interesting places lol. So much cockblocking in this chapter though. Feel that tension starting to coil? Yep, you know me! It's going to get a whole lot worse before it snaps... enjoy! Also, ah, I can't control myself, I'm not sure how long I can keep up the quick updates though, but enjoy another quick one!_

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Haddockwarriorr:** Thank you!_

 _ **UnbreakableWarrior:** Aww thanks, yeah I love putting in cute little moments!_

 _ **Someome:** Lol patience, patience. I update pretty quick anyway._

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Yesss and his confidence is steadily increasing!_

 _ **HiccstridSource:** Thanks! I plan on squeezing in a few more awesome references too!_

 _ **LightningAndDeathItself218:** Lol! I'm extrmely happy you like it so much!_

 _ **DruidicSilverfox:** I'm so glad you think so, I thought I rushed it. Thank you, I appreciate the kind words!_

 _ **British1994:** Lol thank you, yes another quick chapter, but I might not be able to keep up this pace with real life stuff getting in the way soon, but yeah, about a week, maybe less, is about the length of time I usually take to update (on active stories like this one)._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Gooey" by Glass Animals._

* * *

It had been a bit over two months since Hiccup had issued that challenge to Astrid.

Things were starting to get extremely distracting for them and part of Astrid wondered if things would settle down soon, because if it got any worse she couldn't be held responsible for what she'd do to him. Ever since that evening where they were almost caught by her father, they had entered a tug-o-war of flustering each other. It was exhilarating and maddening at the same time. It seemed like the more time Hiccup spent with her, the more support and liberties she gave him, the quicker his confidence developed. Astrid was thrilled she could help him build it, but it also frustrated her... in the best ways, and it also left the 'problems' that the liberties opened for him.

Hiccup was becoming... impatient.

Astrid wasn't sure for what exactly, well, aside what she 'secretly' _hoped_ , but she couldn't be one hundred percent sure just yet. Even so, he was no longer shy about kissing her, no longer hesitated as much when he touched her... but kissing didn't seem like it was enough now, and his hands now seemed to have a mind of their own. Now that he knew he was free to touch her, he took delight in flustering her, even though he would maintain a gentleman-like way of doing so... most of the time. He wouldn't venture to places she _wished_ he would, but very close, and that probably drove her crazy more than if he'd just go ahead and touched her.

All was not 'lost' though, after a little over four months of courting, they were beginning to become pretty adept at keeping it to themselves and acted like they were just very close friends in public. Their friends and _fathers_ had no clue that they had their hands all over each other in private, which they hoped would stay that way, and they were able to relax a bit more out in the open. It took a bit of work, but they were finally at the point in their relationship where they were perfectly comfortable with each other. Hiccup was nowhere near as shy as he had been before and Astrid herself felt more confident around him, at least when they weren't in a _mood_.

However, this unfortunately meant Astrid couldn't spontaneously kiss him like she could when they were younger. While they might have been comfortable with their relation with each other, lately a twisting tension between them made it so they could barely touch each other without being set off. So they tried to keep their hands to themselves _in public_. Alone though was a different story and his touch-but-not-touch was making her go mad. Astrid wasn't sure if he was doing that on purpose, but she was back to barely getting a peaceful nights sleep again. It was both irritating and wonderful. Especially since she could pay him back now.

That day, after finishing going over previous lessons and tactical maneuvers again early, and giving their usual rounds of knowing looks at each other, Astrid stood by her dragon, watching as the group broke into a discussion, circling Hiccup with their demands. Lately the group seemed restless, more than usual, and especially Snotlout. The shortest member of their group was currently vehemently trying to convince their unofficial leader to let them go on a specific adventure. Something that had been buried two years ago and almost cost Hiccup his life.

Snotlout groaned in irritation. "All I'm saying is that there could be a _lot_ of treasure still buried under that cave-in! Didn't you say you saw a lot of it before grabbing that stupid feather?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, arms cross and his little 'I'm not impressed' frown sinking the corner of his lips down. "That 'stupid feather' saved my life..." he reminded him dryly. Toothless let out an upset growl at the mean human, in usual agreement with his rider.

"What's your point?" Snotlout sneered, earning a scowl from his cousin, followed by an irritated eye-roll. "Look, just hear me out. Hamish wouldn't have stored all that treasure if you couldn't get to it, right? And tell me, why would he leave all that to go to waste?" he reasoned misguidedly.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure the point of a _secret_ treasure, _buried_ in a cavern, with a _coded map_ specifically for his _son_ ,was so that not you or anyone else could just get to it..." Fishlegs argued, leaning comfortably against his beloved Gronckle.

"Who asked you?!" Snotlout snapped testily, pride stinging from being corrected so aptly.

" _Snotlout_ ," Astrid sighed with irritation. "It's too early in the morning to be ridiculous," she said, rubbing her tired eyes, suffering from yet another fantasy-filled night of sleeplessness, and shooting her confused boyfriend a glower. He rose a questioning eyebrow and she sighed again. It wasn't his fault her mind and body wouldn't leave her alone. It _was_ however his fault for being so damn handsy lately. Stormfly nudged her shoulder questioningly, sensing the mild distress on her human. Astrid scratched her chin absentmindedly.

Hookfang snorted in agreement with the more pleasant female human of the pack, earning another scowl from his human that morning. "Where is your sense of adventure?" Snotlout whined to her, then turned back to his cousin. "Hiccup, I thought you were all up for that sort of thing? Adventure? Mystery? Possibilities of discovering the unknown?" he countered, trying to entice him. "Imagine all we could discover from what he left behind, huh?"

"I'm 'all up for' staying alive..." Hiccup muttered, shifting where he rested against his Night Fury, a little glint of interest beginning to form in his eyes.

The twins seemed to sense their increasingly brave and bold leader was beginning to shift to the daring side. They shared a mischievous, scheming look. "Wouldn't it be _so cool_ if we found it all, brought it to the council, and were rewarded with _recognition_? Wouldn't it be _awesome_ if the _chief_ saw us _worthy_ of defeating such a _daring obstacle_? And let's not forget how filthy rich we would be..?" Tuffnut grinned, baiting him further.

Hiccup bit his lip, rubbing his chin in thought. Astrid glanced over at Hiccup knowingly, noticing the conflicted look on his face. Oh, he was very tempted. No boy could pass up the opportunity to go on an adventure and find treasure. Hiccup, rubbed his neck then. "I don't know..." he mumbled.

"Yeah, I like that idea," Ruffnut agreed. "Imagine all the _amazement_ the tribe would have with us! How much cool... ugh, _knowledge_ , we'd retrieve, and _learn_ new things from everything we found?" she smirked, leaning toward Hiccup and wagging her brows. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Huh, Hiccup?"

Astrid rolled her eyes at their attempt to lure Hiccup into their dirty schemes. If she was being honest with herself though, she _was_ kind of tried of the same routine every day herself, even if it _did_ have its very sensual breaks in between. So maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe it'd even be fun "I'm game," she shrugged, making the others stare at her in surprise and wonderment. If they could get Astrid on their side, it was usually a done deal, because Hiccup almost always caved after that.

"Yes!" Snotlout and Tuffnut cheered elatedly, feeling like half the battle was won already.

"Really, Astrid?" Hiccup asked incredulously, shifting a little again, his eyes almost asking for permission.

Astrid rolled her own eyes again and crossed her arms. "Sure, why not? It sounds fun," she shrugged. And if it got her mind distracted from him, bonus.

Hiccup grinned then, making the hope in the more immature members of the group rise by the second. "I thought you were the responsible one?" he teased her.

Hiccup was right. Usually Astrid was more cautious, but she seriously needed a break too. "No, that's Fishlegs," she smiled back, looking over then to the more scholarly member of the group, who was shuffling uneasily now, all eyes turning on him.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at her fondly and looked at the last member. "What do you say, 'Legs?" he probed gently.

Fishlegs sighed loudly, shoulders dropping, knowing how overwhelmingly outnumbered he was. "I guess..."

Snotlout and the twins shouted with excitement at the same time.. "Treasure!" they crowed.

Hiccup sighed in defeat. "Oh, gods," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Settle down, we still need to figure out how we'll even get to it, or actually find where it was buried again in the first place."

Fishlegs grunted in annoyance. "I... might have copied the poem... for educational purposes," he grumbled, all eyes turning on him again.

"Alright! You're the man!" Snotlout shouted joyously.

Fishlegs puffed a little, a tiny bit eased by the uncharacteristic compliment from the usual bully of the team. "I wrote it all down and even drew a route to it," he explained, feeling a little better about the expedition now.

"We have a plan then," Hiccup smiled boyishly, now truly excited at the prospect.

Astrid raised a brow then. "What about _work_?" she questioned a little teasingly.

Hiccup shot her a look, snorting. "I said it before, I'll say it again, I deserve a break from everything Gobber's been putting me through lately," he grunted in mild annoyance, narrowing his eyes in mock irritation with her.

Astrid shrugged and grinned at the playful look of his. "It's your call."

Hiccup turned to Toothless, who warbled with excitement, obviously agreeing to this too. There it was then, done deal. "Alright, I guess we're all in agreement then. Let's get going then, gang!"

"Yeah!" the three most excited cried, climbing onto their own dragons.

Soon enough they were all in the air, in a habitual V formation, following Hiccup's lead. Astrid was, as she had always been, at his right side, closer to him than the rest, though mostly unconsciously doing so by now. They followed the map Fishlegs had dug around his hut for and soon enough found the exact spot where the entrance had been before. Fortunately it was still there.

"We should probably leave the dragons out, sorry bud, too dangerous," Hiccup suggested, rubbing Toothless' cheek reassuringly. Just as they began heading in, Hiccup noticed that one of them lingered and thought for a second. "Fishlegs, would you rather stay out and work on supporting the entrance to the cavern? In case of another cave-in?" Hiccup offered, knowing how reluctant the group savant was.

Fishlegs visibly relaxed. "I would be happy to! Don't you worry, I'll put up plenty of support beams!" The others snorted knowingly but didn't say anything.

They headed in then, searching for the large antechamber that had opened up with the pieces of the puzzle they had collected before. They did not find the same gaping opening it had made, but they did find a large crack in the wall that splintered, one leading straight down, the other winding. Astrid didn't feel so eager about this anymore, imagining the dangers stepping into an unstable cave.

Hiccup however was still interested. "Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, you head down this path, we'll go the other," he declared. Astrid glanced at him curiously for a second, knowing any other time he would have stuck her with one of them to level out the responsible personalities. Obviously he wasn't thinking with his brain at the moment... "Snotlout, please try to keep them from collapsing the cave..." he added.

"Yeah yeah," Snotlout responded distractedly, much too excited over finding the piles of gold, artifacts, and jewels.

Hiccup and Astrid chose to follow the path that led straight down, hoping it would turn at one point and go to the undermost part of the cave-system, leading to the treasure. As they made their way through the dark cave, one torch between them, even Hiccup began to regret the decision of even going in. Astrid paused then, catching his attention as she hesitated going further down, noticing the cracks along the ceiling and the nearly constant bits of falling dust above them. Not a good sign. "Hiccup, I'm not so sure about this anymore. We've been walking for a while now without sign of anything promising... maybe we should head back..?" she suggested.

They stopped then, just as a rumble went through their tunnel. "I think you may be right... come on." They turned around quickly, but in the dark, with unstable terrain, and coupled with odd little tremors under their feet, it was the perfect recipe for a collision. Astrid tipped forward, tripping on a rock that rolled their way. The only thing she had to grab on to was Hiccup, but the sudden push into him caught him off guard and threw his own balance off. "Oof!" Hiccup he gasped, catching her but flailed and fell back. "Argh..." he winced, sliding back onto the wall behind him and resting on the hard, stone floor.

"Sorry!" Astrid said in surprise from her spot, now firmly straddling him. As soon as they realized their position, their logical, rational part of their mind went offline. They grinned a little at the clumsy trip and at how convenient their positions and their solitude was.

Hiccup lifted a brow when she hadn't pushed off him yet. "Are you comfortable?" he asked teasingly.

Astrid grinned and nodded. "I am, actually. You're pretty comfy," she responded, settling a little against him as proof, shifting herself over his lap and resting her hands over his shoulders. Her eyes widened slightly when he groaned and his hands shot to her hips, holding her still. A flash of deja vu hit her then.

"Astrid, _please_ d-don't do that..." Hiccup groaned, flushing darkly and looking away, fighting everything in him to get her to do it again.

Their torch was on the ground now, so it only left them a flicker of light between them... but it was enough for Astrid to see the deep blush on his cheeks, the wild desperation in his eyes, and felt her heart trip over itself as it sprinted within her. She didn't exactly need to see the result of her accidental brush against him though. It had been exceedingly easy to get him to show her exactly what he thought of her lately, and she could feel said result pushing against her, even now.

Astrid felt herself tingle all over at the familiar, enticing feeling. "Something... tells me you're pretty comfortable too..." she said a little playfully, still reeling from a sense of familiarity, though for some reason she was having trouble remembering the events from that life a lot more now. Maybe that was a good thing though. Besides, she was far more interested in how he hadn't made any effort to get her to move off him yet either.

Hiccup looked back at her then. "Well..." he blushed again. "I'm-I'm certainly not going to deny that I like it..." he mumbled with a tiny grin.

Now Astrid was interested. This was the first time he verbally admitted she aroused him. "Yeah?" she rose a challenging brow.

Hiccup's expression shifted to that unreadable look again and Astrid felt his grip on her hips tighten slightly. "Yes, I do," he said clearly and without his usual shyness.

Astrid stared right back, fighting the temptation to see how much she could get a reaction from him. She felt one of his hands slide up to her cheek then, gently tugging her to him and she fell against him willingly, unable to resist the allure of kissing him, even in such an uncertain location they were in. The kiss was going to her head, feeling him stroking the roof of her mouth with passionate ardor, and suddenly she couldn't contain the temptation and gripped his shoulder, her legs tightening over his thighs and used her leverage to rock herself hard into him.

Hiccup gasped into the kiss, pulling from it and nearly bashed his head against the stone wall behind him, moaning as a surprising amount of pleasure shot through him. Astrid continued to fight it, holding still now, struggling with her desire for him and her need to take things slowly with him. Hiccup almost looked like he was in pain and his hand on her hip shook, giving her the impression that he was struggling as well. His head whipped back to her, eyes locking with hers, making her breath hitch at the intensity, but if Astrid thought he would ask her not to do that again or to push her off, his next action blew her expectations out of the water.

This time it was Astrid's turn to gasp and moan, shuddering deeply when he placed his other hand back to her hip to join the other and yanked her hips right back against his, sliding her roughly against the growing bulge in his pants. Astrid leaned against his shoulder, eyes blurring with need, panting with the effort to not turn this into more than it probably should just yet. Hiccup didn't seem to have the same struggle however, and did it again, forcing the dull heat between her thighs to rage into a firestorm of irresistible yearning that clawed at her with vicious vengeance.

Astrid moaned low and breathlessly, making him tremble beneath her almost as much as the cave around them. Frustrated beyond belief by now, Astrid grabbed him and kissed him hard, grinding herself right back into him, again and again until they were both gasping, grasping at each other tightly, lost in the intoxicating sensation between them, ripping apart the reluctant inhibitions between them, making them both moan urgently into the kiss as their bodies rocked. The feel of his erection riding into her hot, thrumming sex was a drug blacking out her senses until the only thing she knew was the pleasure he gave her and the desperate need for more.

Just before it could get anywhere further however, there was another tremor beneath them that had nothing to do with how carried away they were very rapidly becoming. This time it was strong enough to force a crack open in the Earth near them. They pulled away from the sudden heated rush of longing between them to stare in alarm at the unstable tunnel around them. "T-Time... and-and place..?" Hiccup joked weakly, trying anything to get rational thought back into his head, panting hard where he sat, shaking and trying not to notice how much he wanting to continue until he exploded.

Astrid felt thousands of tiny shivers running through her, arousal so strong it made her weak where she still rested against him. "We... we um... need to... l-let's just get out of here," Astrid said, hurriedly pulling herself off him and trying to ignore how unbelievable the sudden friction was. Gasping and bracing herself against the unsteady wall next to them, shutting her eyes a moment to try pointlessly to control the constant throbbing within her. Hiccup likewise groaned for the same reason, his face contorting in pleasure where he still sat limply. "Hiccup, you have to get up, we need to get out of here," Astrid told him firmly.

"I'm already _up_..." Hiccup laughed weakly once again.

Astrid scowled, trying to hide her blush at how _completely_ accurate that was, not for the first time falling into such verbal traps. "Hiccup..." she growled in warning, trying not to let him distract her.

"Hey _you_ were the one who wanted me to joke more..." Hiccup said defensibly, struggling to get back up without jostling his now uncomfortably tented pants. Astrid sighed in frustration and grabbed his wrists, hauling him to his feet. The ground beneath them chose then to start shaking and cracking violently. "Oh Thor!" Hiccup gasped, hopping out of the way from a sharp tear in the ground at his feet. Rocks and dust began to fall from the ceiling, forcing them to duck and rush out of the way.

"Hiccup? Astrid? Are you alive down here?" they heard Ruffnut's muffled call from further down, near the entrance to their tunnel.

"Coming!" Astrid yelled, shooting Hiccup a look when he bit his lip to stop himself from grinning. "Hiccup, _time and place_ ," she repeated his words back to him with a half amused glower.

"Your fault..." Hiccup grumbled, following her path as they ran. The very tense situation, jumping out of the way from the collapsing ceiling, buckling floor and quaking environment was panic inducing enough to help Hiccup to control the evidence of their sudden bout of desperate need to ease some of the tension that had been steadily escalating between them.

When they reached the the others, they narrowed their eyes at the guilty look in the eyes of the twins. "We may or may not have triggered the cave to collapsed..." Ruffnut explained.

Hiccup rounded on his cousin accusingly. "Snotlout!" he shouted with irritation.

"Do you _really_ think I have the ability to stop _them_?" Snotlout cried.

"What happened?" Hiccup demanded, even as the cave was quickly falling apart around them.

"Hiccup! I won't say again! Time. And. Place!" Astrid shouted at him in agitation, making him wince while dodging yet another stalactite. "Let's go already!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait- what did you mean by _that_?" Tuffnut questioned with a mild bit of interest.

Astrid thought quickly about it, feeling panic at her accidental slip. "He's been in a joking mood at inappropriate times lately," she told him, rather truthfully even. "Like _now_!"

"That's hilarious! Hiccup! You're joining the dark side!" Tuffnut cackled.

Astrid's shoulders slumped in relief, but now was not the time to dwell on how lucky a save that was. "You can gush about stupid things after we get out of this death trap!"

"But-But the treasure!" Snotlout whined.

"Let's _go_ Snotlout!" Astrid growled.

Soon they were all running. Fortunately Fishlegs had put up enough support beams around the entrance that it was clear of debris. The way behind them however, was scary enough to have them throwing themselves out, falling to the ground with a gasp as it finished falling to pieces. A great heap of dust flung toward them, making all of them cough and swat at it out of their faces. When it settled, they breathed mutual sighs of relief.

"Ugh, okay. That's that then, this expedition ended with the _second_ collapse of that cave. Sorry Snotlout but that treasure is _staying_ buried," Hiccup sighed wearily, unable to resist sharing a look with Astrid, who bit her lip and looked away almost shyly.

"Aw, man... come on..." Snotlout groaned. "You know you could have at least snagged a little something last time..."

Hiccup scoffed, finally calming down from both the panic of the collapsing cave and his own little tumble within its walls with his girlfriend. "I was a little more concerned about, oh I don't know, living?"

Snotlout snorted and crossed his arms. "Unfair..." he muttered under his breath.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, sighing wearily from all the crazy activity recently. "Come on, let's head back." The flight back was filled with reminescing of the past, of their adventured they shared back when the academy first started up.

"Remember the first version of your painting with the chief?" Tuffnut snickered. "So weird..."

"I kinda liked it," Astrid smirked, earning a conflicted look from Hiccup.

Snotlout snorted. "I'm way more muscular than that picture was! Like what you see, beautiful?" he flexed for Astrid, then he and Hookfang ducked in a panic as spineshots flew at his and his dragon's face. Hookfang growled in indignation to Stormfly, who snorted back at him in amusement.

"Good girl, Stormfly," Astrid grinned, scratching her pleased dragon's cheek affectionately.

When they got back to Berk, they parted ways to get to their other responsibilities. Hiccup and Astrid walked side by side quietly. Just before Astrid could turn and tell him she'd see him later, she started slightly, feeling the pads of his fingers trail down her arm slowly. Her heart leapt to her throat and she glanced up at him questioningly.

Hiccup didn't exactly smile, instead he shot her a familiar, almost smoldering, longing look. Astrid gulped down unsteady breaths, once again shivering hotly, knowing precisely what those looks meant now. He... _wanted_ her. Astrid would never forget that look and could recognize it easily. When she finally made it back home, she was out of breath again.

That night, Astrid tossed and turned in her bed, unable to stop thinking about the incident in the cave, how they ground against each other repeatedly with obvious intentions, both not wanting to stop. As was her perpetual way for the past couple years, Astrid was unable to keep him off her mind. She felt thrilled and anxious, knowing now that he was starting to feel the strain too. She knew now without a doubt that he wanted her too at this point. That smoldering expression of his was like a blazing signal fire... but they... couldn't do _anything_ unless they had protection.

Frustrated at the roadblock, at the burning itch inside her, Astrid was unable to resist her needs again. She would have to relieve herself again and felt exasperated by how often she had to do that lately. Astrid wasted no time, taking care of her problem as quickly and quietly as she could, irritated and her mind churning with plans.

Once she was relieved, she thought about how to deal with this problem. Astrid knew she needed to get her hands on that tea if they had any chance of progressing in their relationship. But that meant sneaking into Gothi's shop without her or anyone else noticing. Then she had to prepare it with similar results, no one finding out, and then convincing Hiccup to ignore his responsible, insecure side and let himself go, without sounding too needy. The last one was probably not going to be as difficult as the other two problems at that point however.

Still, this was going to be tricky.

The next day, Astrid did all she could to prepare for her 'mission' she liked to call 'operation get into Hiccup Haddock's pants'. Humor was the only way to keep herself sane nowadays. She prepared as she normally would for the day, with the exception of sneaking a few pieces of parchment and Kohl, tucked within her boots. She got up early that day, just so she could sneak into Gothi's shop.

With her plan in mind, she crept out of the house silently, not even bothering to get something to eat on the way out, nerves making her appetite non-existent. Fortunately that early in the morning there was no one except maybe Gobber up yet, who had to stoke the fires of the forge before the shop opened every morning. Getting past him was easy enough, as he was a little hard of hearing.

Astrid climbed up the ladders to Gothi's as quickly as she could and once she was at the top, she set off to find anything that might make reference to that tea. As luck would have it, Gothi had a book filled with recipes. Grabbing her parchment and Kohl, she flipped through the pages quickly until she finally found what she was looking for.

Unfortunately that took a long time because the woman seemed to make up for her speech impediment by writing, and a _lot_. Finding the recipe for Moon Tea, she quickly wrote it down, closed the book, and then stuffed it back in her boot, turning to make a quick escape. A squeak of panic left her then when she saw Gothi stepping over to her silently, a questioning look on her face.

Well fuck.

"Um- hi! Hi Gothi! I came here early so... I could ask if you needed any help today?" Astrid smiled as calmly as she could. For a alarming amount of time, raising the panic in Astrid's heart by the second, the woman remained silent... or, well, didn't scribble anything.

Then, as though flicking a switch, she smiled widely and nodded, grabbing her staff to scribble on the patch of soil on the floor. "Help... with... clinical duties..? Uh, sure! I'd be happy to," Astrid smiled, simply relieved that either the old woman decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, or she had been thinking of a way she could help. At least, she _hoped_ Gothi hadn't actually suspected her. For all she knew, this could be a way to test her word. Fine then, she'd just have to be as helpful and willing as she possibly could. What could go wrong?

Answer? _Everything_.

Oh Gothi never found out of course, but the disgusting things Astrid had to witness while the old woman tended to sick and injured Vikings had been revolting. It had _almost_ lowered her libido. Astrid thought acting as nurse for Gothi almost the whole day would have helped keep her thoughts off her _mission_ , but it didn't, not one bit. All day all she could really concentrate on was how the first thing she was going to do that evening when her parents were asleep was prepare some of that tea.

Funny. She now had her answer at who and how that tea came about. She had learned it first... and she would teach it to Hiccup. It was the least he could do, if it meant he would be getting lucky as often as she intended him on getting. No, she wasn't obsessed with having sex with him, she assures herself, she just wanted that closeness again, that deeper connection she had felt, that binding to him that had sealed her heart with his, had opened her feelings and made her crave his love like she craved living.

It really was a lot more complicated than her body had been making it seem, but she couldn't deny the simplicity of it as well, she really did need him _that way_ as well. Besides, it was _his fault_ anyway, one way or another. If his future self hadn't been so dead set on getting into her pants once upon a time, and then systematically made her feel things she hadn't known were possible, she wouldn't be so anxious about feeling those things with him again. After a long, disgusting, and frustrating day, which earned her a few coins and a bundle of herbs to make an _entirely different_ kind of tea, Astrid finally went home.

That evening, Astrid went to 'sleep' early, explaining to her parents how she had helped Gothi all day when they inquired over her whereabouts. When she was sure they had gone to sleep, she crept out of her room and headed to the cooking area of the hut. It was late enough in the night that she felt confident her parents would not wake. Unfortunately, just as she finished setting up the required ingredients she had gathered before heading home and tried to prepare the tea as quietly as she could, she heard one of her parents walk in. Looking up sharply, she found her mother wandering in sleepily. "M-Mom! Uh, hello!" she squeaked.

"Astrid..?" the older woman questioned. "What are you doing up?" she asked curiously. Since Astrid was of age to make her own decisions for most things, her parents no longer forced her to stay in bed during the night, though they still preferred she stay in the house at night for whatever reason.

"I... couldn't sleep," Astrid told her.

"Is that tea? Will you make me some?" the older shield-maiden asked.

Astrid panicked a little, glancing down at her incriminating ingredients. "Sure thing," she said, reaching over and intentionally slipping, knocking them over and mixing the herbs up. "Oh! I guess I'm more tired than I thought, I'm sorry," she made a show of sighing and rubbing her neck wearily.

The older woman raised a brow but shrugged, figuring it was a teenager things. "Here, let me," she said, stepping over to get the ingredients needed for soothing tea.

"Oh yeah, here," Astrid reached over and grabbed the bundle, handing it to her. "Gothi gave this to me as thanks for helping her."

"Ahh, very nice. Gothi has the best mixes," her bother breathed in the aroma from the pouch. She set off to prepare it in the kettle while Astrid brought the hearth in the center to life. "So tell me, how are things with that Haddock boy going?" she asked curiously.

Astrid dropped the stick she had been using to poke at the embers, burning it in the slowly growing fire. "What?" she asked with a gasp of surprise.

The seasoned shield-maiden chuckled and waved her surprise away. "Oh don't act so surprised, dear. I was your age once too, you know. I remember sneaking around with your father when we were young too. Where do you think you got your rebellious streak from?"

Astrid had been mortified for a second, but now she felt a little interested. "What about marriage contracts?"

"Sweetheart, marriage contracts or no, there's nothing in Odin's fertile world that can keep hormonal teenagers away from each other," she chuckled again.

"Ugh, ew..." Astrid cringed, not wanting to think of her parents that way. Well, at least now she didn't feel so bad about what she was doing with Hiccup, if they weren't the first to do it, even when marriage contracts had been a big deal. "Anyway, um... how could you tell..?"

"Oh I've seen the signs of course. The dazed expressions, distracted when he's nearby, smiling all the time, giggling like a little girl whenever you finished your day with him, it was quite obvious." Astrid banged her head on the table, ignoring her mother's quiet laughter at her response. "But you know, dear, it's not exactly looked well upon if you get caught _engaging_ in certain _activities_ without properly making the relationship official. It would ruin your reputation and taint the poor boy's name. You need to be careful. I'm sure the boy doesn't want to go back to being called 'Hiccup the _Useless'_."

Astrid felt like she was about to die then. "Please don't go there, mother. Please relax, everything's fine, we're fine, please don't make a fuss, _please_..?" she begged with an exasperated groan, face still planted against the table.

Her mother huffed at her daughter's cheeky response but couldn't blame her and allowed her this. "Alright, don't worry. You're my daughter so I know I didn't raise a foolhardy daughter who takes risks without thinking everything through first," she told her.

Astrid was surprised by how calm her mother was about this, and shocked that she had basically in a roundabout way given her permission to pretty much do whatever she wanted, as long as she was responsible. It was yet another burden lifted from her and it made her wonder if... if this really was fated by the gods... or if Freyja still had her influence around her somewhere. "Thank you mom, I appreciate your vote of confidence. I think I'll just go back to bed now... lots to think about and all..." she said completely truthfully.

"Alright sweetheart, rest well," her mother smiled, watching her daughter head back to her room and hoping she found happiness. She had seen how depressed she had been, and how rapidly that had changed when the chief's son had finally let her in. Smiling to herself, she went back to preparing her tea, cleaning up her daughter's mess and shaking her head in amusement at the obvious ingredients scattered about.

Fortunately, that night, after everything she had gone through, Astrid was able to fall sleep without too much trouble.

Three days, it had been _three entire days_ since she finally attained everything she needed to get her hands on some of that tea. She had gone through several mishaps trying to prepare it at odd times in the day, and each time the gods had seemed to be toying with her. Hiccup hadn't made it easy on her to deal with it either, continually showing his interest in her in the most distracting ways possible. Finally though, on the morning of the fourth day, she had finally managed to make some and tried it, only a few hours before she'd go to the academy.

As she sipped on the oddly still familiar tasting brew, she decided it wasn't so bad. She had taken it quite a few times whenever that Hiccup had made it for her, so very long ago, so she had become used to the taste. After adding a bit of honey to it though, she found it was rather nice, actually. Staring at the tea reminded her of what it meant, and she felt herself shiver. She hoped Hiccup really wanted to get closer to her like that too, though she had next to no doubt about it, insecurity still lingered a little bit.

Later that morning, Astrid felt a little better about the day and her duties at the academy, the lessons and training drills, helped her to focus as it always did. Fortunately she was viking enough to handle concentrating on her duties. _Unfortunately_ , Hiccup _still_ didn't have any intention of making it easy on her to focus, whether he did it on purpose of not.

Throughout the last few weeks, he had begun to do little things more often when none of their friends were looking. He gave her the usual heated, longing looks, gave her simple touches, grazing a hand over her arm, pressing a hand on her lower back, smiling here and there, standing closer than was strictly necessary. Hiccup flustered her like she hadn't been flustered in years.

Yes, it was slap-in-the-face clear that he was _just_ as ready for _more_ as she was, and very impatient. Astrid had no intention of letting him be the only one to fluster her though. If he wanted to play it that way, she could play. First though, she needed to get her head on straight and think clearly, but she knew that wouldn't be happening that day.

By the end of the day she was both tired from all the training, hard work throughout the day, irritated with herself and Hiccup and completely aroused again. She might have had that tea in her system, but at the moment she still couldn't do anything about it, except fantasize, pleasure herself with thoughts of him again and pass out, as usual.

Astrid took long, deep breaths to calm down as she lay in bed that night, but she knew it was impossible. Hiccup had made her day a sensual torture. Ever since she had given him the green light to do pretty much what he wanted, a few months ago, he had taken advantage of that. Now free to let her know how he felt, he let her know a lot. Feeling the familiar pulse of desire. Astrid moaned into her hands that now covered her face, hot need for him exasperated by his clear interest in more and now her answer to scratch the itch, continually thwarting her reach that week.

Astrid panted slightly, trying to make an effort to reign in the torrid heated arousal throbbing angrily between her legs. Thor damn him, was he tormenting her on purpose? It almost seemed that way. If he wasn't so... intense, she might not have had such a problem. But Hiccup Haddock was and would always be her weakness. She had no choice, she had to quickly work it out of her system before it drove her insane. Groaning in frustration, she set out to do so, nimble fingers soothing the ache away until she was moaning for Hiccup in her pillow like many _many_ times before, trembling and trying not to wake her parents.

This... torment, had to stop... or at least get better, or she just might _ravage_ him, with or without the damn tea.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** I honestly thought this chapter would be under 4k words! The appearance of the moon tea! Hiccup is driving Astrid crazy again lol. This time though, Hiccup better watch out. There's only so much she'll take, we all know Astrid is a badass, so she won't remain helpless for long. _

_Also, Hiccstrid spoiler? The only thing I know is that there will be more (and apparently more significant) moments in the second part of RTTE, but I don't know much more than that. I'd love some more info lol. If you'd like to share (official information), PM me please._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Haddockwarriorr:** I hope you liked this one too!_

 _ **UnbreakableWarrior:** Thank you!_

 _ **Holly0225:** Thank you so much!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** It'll probably be more like a tug-o-war :D Also, funny you should mention "cave" lol._

 _ **LightningAndDeathItself218:** Lol it's Astrid's fault for baiting him XD_

 _ **123456:** Nice name you chose lol. Sorry but it's completely my intention making you readers horny lol, and it's only going to get worse. I'm glad you enjoyed it!_

 _ **hawaiiBritish94:** Thanks!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Pieces" by Andrew Belle._

* * *

It had been several days since that adventure to try and recover Hamich's treasure.

As it turned out, the twins had sneaked in Barf and Belch to try and clear up debris they found. Unfortunately the dragon had tried to blast its way through and caused piles of rocks to collapse atop it, spooking it and sending it running out of the cave again. Hiccup had given them a week's worth of stable duties for their trouble, to which Astrid would not be moved from when they attempted to make _her_ convince _him_ to lighten the sentence. As if. She and Hiccup usually agreed on just about everything, and that included disciplining them.

In the past half a week or so, things had not gotten easier for Astrid to handle, and Hiccup seemed more distracted than usual. It was almost as though he could sense her own impatience for him and it was contagious to him, because his subtle little attacks, on her, that drove her _mad,_ hadn't let up at all. Then again, she wasn't so surprised by it either. Five months courting was a _long time_ for tension to steadily build between two people dying to be closer to each other. _Too_ long, maybe.

Hiccup walked into the academy late that morning, which was a rare occasion but it usually meant his father held him up. "I have some news," he said as he stepped in front of them. "My dad's left to a diplomatic trip earlier today and he put me in charge for the next couple days," he began, catching Astrid's eye. Said shield-maiden shivered, like she usually did at the blatant smoldering look he shot her, her mind racing with possibilities.

"Does this mean we'll get free reign of Berk?" Tuffnut asked teasingly.

"Absolutely...-" Hiccup began grinning.

" _Really_?!" Tuffnut gasped.

"- _Not_!" the chief's son glared mockingly. As soon as Tuffnut snorted in disappointment and looked away with a glower, Hiccup's eyes trailing back to Astrid for a second before forcing them away again, shifting uneasily where he stood.

Astrid's chewed on her lip, feeling the strain very high between them going as strong as ever. Now that they had the window of opportunity with his dad gone to do something about it, it obviously left him seemingly distracted and left her mind swimming with ideas. "So... no spontaneous dragon races then?" she teased with a sly grin, trying to ease the tension between them.

Hiccup's shoulder visibly relaxed a little and he seemed to hold himself up a little straighter. "Astrid, no," he shot her a playful look. "Not again. I won't have insubordination from the lot of you again. Not this year." Astrid inwardly sighed in relief that he had taken the bait.

"Aww come on, Hiccup! I think that's a great idea!" Ruffnut grinned.

Hiccup crossed his arms. "I'm not making a habit of doing that whenever the chief of Berk leaves."

Astrid raised a brow. "But the village _loved_ it last time," she smirked, her heart racing a little when his eyes raked her for a second once again.

Hiccup's head tilted forward. "You know, as chief, I could... have you locked up," his brow hiked up this time, corner of his lips twitching to hold back a grin.

Lock her up? Gods, he wasn't even trying anymore. Now all she could imagine was him strapping her to a pillory and having his way with her with her helpless to stop him. Gods above, she needed to get her head out of the outhouse! Clearing her throat awkwardly, Astrid went on with the little game. " _Acting_ chief, hotshot. You're not the one really in charge yet," she shot back.

Hiccup's head tilted slightly. "Oh? I'm not?" he challenged. "Are you acting out then? Inspiring rebellion? Being deliberately insubordinate?"

Astrid could see in his eyes that he meant to say more, but she resisted continuing on that line of thought and asking if he'd punish her. Thor almighty, they were beginning to sound like they were flirting and in front of their friends no less! "It'd only be insubordination if you were in charge of me," she retorted, unable to help herself, crossing her own arms.

"Astrid..." Hiccup trailed off in a playful warning tone.

"You guys are ridiculous," Snotlout snorted, part of him secretly jealous of their close friendship. Astrid once again felt relief that they weren't figured out, most of all by him, who simply thought they were teasing in a friendly manner. Which really they were but it could have been taken way out of context and very easily.

"Uh oh, _mom and dad_ are fighting again..." Ruffnut whispered loudly to Tuffnut, who giggled back.

Astrid and Hiccup glowered at them, blushing in embarrassment. "Anyway, this means academy related stuff, at least for me, for the next few days will be cut short," Hiccup went on, visibly trying to keep his eyes from wandering again. On the bright side, Astrid was now assured he was ready and raring to progress with their relationship, if his eyes undressing her every couple of minutes was any indication. The temperature around her seemed a little higher than usual that day.

"Oh shoot, oh no, that's terrible," Snotlout said sarcastically.

"That _is_ too bad," Fishlegs frowned slightly.

Throughout the lessons and drills the tension between the 'secret' couple drove them crazy, though neither of them could do anything about it. Hiccup had made a mistake at least three times, making Snotlout and Tuffnut call him out and laugh joyfully at the fact he wasn't the perfect teacher he tried to be. Hiccup scowled and went on, trying to ignore them and keep his eyes firmly away from Astrid. In the meantime, Astrid was having the most difficult time concentrating yet and he frustration made her snappy, making the tension just a little worse.

The morning couldn't end sooner.

Finally though, it did, and not a moment too soon.

On their way out of the academy, their hands grazed each other again where they walked behind everyone else. Hiccup took no time taking advantage of their tiny corner of privacy, stroking his fingers over her wrist. He was pleasantly surprised by the little gasp that escapes her. Astrid had forgotten how sensitive her wrists were to his touch. Then again, she was pretty sensitive _everywhere_ he touched. Hiccup hiked an interest brow up and gently wrapped his hand over it, stroking it again with his thumb, watching her bite her lip. They pulled away when they get close to the group and headed up to the Great Hall silently, acutely aware of each other as they headed up the steps.

As they enter the Great Hall, Hiccup stepped back a little and let Astrid go inside first. "Ladies first," he grinned boyishly. Astrid rolled her eyes at his unnecessary show of chivalry but he simply smiled mysteriously at her questioning look. Her eyes narrowed, wondering what he was up to, but she went in anyway. As they walked, she felt his presence behind her, making her a little jumpy. When they reach their seats, she felt his hand press on her lower back, as though 'helping her' to her seat, his hand lingering there much longer than what was probably considered innocent. Astrid shivered and shot him a look but he's pretended to look at the discussion going on as they sat, sliding his hand over her as he pulled it away. Not subtle at all.

They sat and much closer than they had been sitting before, thighs quite literally pressed right against each other. Fortunately no one seemed to notice this, as surprising as that was, since they were practically in each others laps at that point. They listened halfheartedly as Tuffnut baited Snotlout into an argument over which of their dragons was more powerful, but they were much too interested in each other to really pay attention.

As usual, their hands played with each other under the table, stroking fingers, caressing palms. Now Hiccup sought her wrist again, running the pad of his thumb over it gently, playing little patterns, watching her from the corner of his eye. Astrid's own eyes shut at the extremely pleasant sensation, heart racing just as it had the first time _he_ stroked her wrist. Taking the risk, Astrid pulled from his grip to grab that hand and guided it to her leg, letting him know her interest as well.

Hiccup turns red and she grinned, though neither of them where actually looking directly at each other while there. Hiccup kept his hand there and merely stroked his thumb over her leg, much like he had her wrist. Astrid wondered if she was crazy. The more he stroked, the more excited she became, and started to squirm. He gave her a curious look when she shifted in her seat. Astrid fought to not clue him in, not wanting to make it more awkward around their friends if he ventured further and shook her head, so he simply continued to stroke her thigh, his hand burning through her leggings.

They separated for their tasks once they were all finished, with Hiccup in charge of chiefly duties that day. All Astrid could do was attempt to distract herself, working on chores, and then training with her axe. The distraction barely worked however, as all she could think about was figuring out when she could truly be alone with Hiccup the next couple of days. It was painfully obvious that he was wanting more too, so today was probably about the best day they had to actually do something about it. The thought both excited her and made her nervous at once.

Later on, after all her duties were finished and she had seen Toothless fly back into town, Astrid decided she couldn't stay away from him much longer and went out to search for him like she often did, even before they started seeing each other. She sneaked into the forge, where she figured he was waiting for her, and as predicted, found him there. He rested against the anvil, arms crossed and gazing toward the entrance expectantly.

As soon as he spotted her, he led her further into the forge without actually guiding her into his workshop. Astrid followed eagerly, heart already racing. As soon as they were out of the possible sight of prying eyes, they pulled each other into a deep kiss, tongues clashing, lips sliding, teeth nipping, no words needed between them at this point. Hiccup pulled her by her hips against him then, uncaring of any possible pokes from her skirt spikes. His hands slid down her waist, then up under her skirt to rest on her outer thighs, holding her firmly in place.

Astrid hummed in pleasure into the kiss, her arms wrapped snugly around his middle. Her eyes then opened half way when he pulled away from the kiss slowly, letting his lips linger feather lightly over hers. Hiccup's own half-lidded gaze swam with longing and Astrid felt her mouth dry. "Since my dad will be gone a few days, you're welcome to spend a little more time with me at my house, if you want... if you think you can sneak away from home," he murmured against her lips, now a hopeful look filtering through him.

Astrid laughed softly, trying not to think too much about the suggestion right then. "Are you, Hiccup Haddock, son of the chief and leader of the dragon academy, usually pretty responsible and strict guy, asking me, your poor, innocent girlfriend-" Hiccup snorted in amusement at that, earning a warning look from her. "-to sneak into a boy's house in the dead of night, disregarding her parents wishes, to do only the gods knew what with said boy?" she questioned teasingly.

Hiccup blushed at the description, but tilted his head, his eyes glinting with mischief. "You're one hundred percent on that one, milady," he grinned. They laugh softly but it did nothing to make a dent on the rapidly escalating tension.

Astrid slid her hand over his cheek, as always smiling softly when he leaned into her caress. "I'll be there," she promised, biting her lip at the intense look in his eyes then.

That night, Astrid pretended to go to bed and waited an entirely too long length of time until her parents were fully asleep. Creeping over to check, she found them snoring softly and dead as a nail asleep. She crept out then, moving as quietly and as quickly as she could through the town, eyes darting around to make sure no one else was about and she had no witnesses. This wasn't the first time she sneaked over to Hiccup's house for a few minutes, but this _was_ the first time there wasn't much of a time limit to staying. She didn't even have to worry about her parents noticing her gone. Astrid often left very early to either train a little before academy duties or had to do early things with her friends, and she made sure her axe and armor she left was hidden from view.

Safe with the thought that she was, for now, in the clear, she made her way into the chief's house, relaxing as soon as she shut the door. Astrid headed right up to Hiccup's loft and found him, without his armor, and pacing there. "Hiccup?" she questioned curiously, watching him jump in surprise with amusement. "Hey, you've been a little on edge... I would say today but you've been on edge all month, so..." she shifted when she noticed he was staring at her with fixed focus. "Are... are you okay?" she asked, feeling both concerned and flustered by his gaze.

"I'm... not sure," Hiccup answered with a frown, rubbing his neck and looking away slightly.

Astrid bit her lip and tried to distract herself for a second to be able to think clearly. "Uh- hey where's Toothless?"

Hiccup seemed to have needed the distraction too and audibly sighed in what sounded like relief. "I bribed him with two baskets of fish to spend the night at the stables. He wasn't happy, but he'll get over it."

"Spend the night..?" Astrid questioned softly, her perpetually racing heart kicking up to speed again. She knew what _she_ wanted to do, but had he been planning the same? She knew he had made it clear he, well, _wanted_ her, but surely he wouldn't have been reckless enough to try anything without protection first? Astrid reached him then and cupped his cheeks, searching his eyes. "Hiccup, what were your intentions tonight..?" she asked very carefully.

"I...I uh... I..." Hiccup turned bright red. "Lately I can't..." he bit his own lip then, conflicted emotions racing through his eyes. "I feel like we reached... a point that, well um... I'd like... more..?" he explained weakly. "If-If uh, y-you wanted it, too, of course!" he rushed to add.

Astrid felt her heart sprinting at full speed, breath impossible to control. "Do you... know what you're asking for..?" she asked, completely blown away with how honest he was being about this. She thought she would have had to try to convince _him_ , not the other way around!

Hiccup flushed deeper. "Y-Yes-but-! But like I said, only-only f you're- if you'd like- I'm not sure what I'm supposed to-" As an answer, Astrid tugged him down to her, capturing his lips in a crushing kiss, fingers sliding into her hair, pushing herself against him until he was walking backwards. Hiccup's legs hit the back of his bed and he sat down. The kiss never broke as she sat with him. They kissed slow and long, sliding their hands over each other until they found themselves completely out of breath and tingling all over.

Astrid pulled from the kiss and stared at him a moment, stroking his cheek. "I hope that was... answer enough? You've been driving me so crazy lately," she admitted very softly.

Hiccup smiled shyly, eyes shining with evident excitement at her 'answer'. "What a coincidence... you've been doing the same to me..." he whispered back, flushing at the admittance.

Astrid grinned just as bashfully, but very brightly, hiking a brow up. "Well, um, if you'd like, we could... do something about that?" she offered breathlessly.

Hiccup blushed deeper. "What do you... suggest we... do..?" he stammered nervously, eyes swimming with hope.

Astrid took another breath to calm down, hating how awkward this was so far. She leaned over to whisper in his ear though, resolutely focusing on staying calm as she told him exactly what has been plaguing her for too long. "I need you, Hiccup," she murmured, feeling him shiver sharply, hearing his breath catch. "Do you... know what I mean..?"

Hiccup closed his eyes and nodded. "Y-Yes, yes I do..." he breathed. "I've been, ah, wanting... the same, for-for so long... but, but um, I've been worried about r-risks," he blushed. "What if-"

Astrid placed a finger over his lips, still reeling that they were actually having this conversation. "That won't happen," she assured him. He frowned curiously, eyes questioning. "You see... I've also been wanting... y-you know... for some time, too, so I... took care of that problem, ah, just in case. Have you heard of Moon Tea..?" Hiccup flushed even more if possible, and nodded slowly. "I've... taken some, recently."

Hiccup's eyes intensified then. "You've... prepared for this..?" he asked in wonderment.

"Yes," Astrid answered as clear and confident as she could.

Hiccup stared for a long while, unable to believe this was happening, but felt old wounds tug at him, wondering if there was a possibility she might regret being with a fishbone line him. "Are-Are you sure you want to be with... _me_..? Like that..?" he asked with a deep tinge of insecurity in his tone.

Astrid frowned in irritation and punched his arm, hard, making him cringe and flinch in pain. "Of _course_ I do!" she hissed. "Don't ask such _stupid questions_ ," she scolded him, annoyed he'd even ask and offended he'd think she'd ever want to be with anyone else.

"I-I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking away.

Astrid winced at the hurt look in his eyes, regretting how harsh she had answered him. Deciding she needed to make him understand, she pushed herself up and over, sliding onto his lap. He gasped, but held still, attention back on her. Astrid took his cheeks again and caresses him softly. "I'm sorry I said it like that," she told him. "Hiccup," she began, taking a deep breath once again to steady her words. "I want _you_ , I _need_ you, _you_ , no one else. All I can think of is _you_ , your hands, your lips, _your_... body. _You._ Do you understand me?" she asked firmly, letting him know she couldn't care less if he didn't look like a typical Viking.

Hiccup gaped in astonishment at her straight-forward words. "Y-Yes," he gasped, still in awe she'd actually want this with _him_.

Astrid blushed at her own daring speech. "Good," she said simply, then leaned in and kissed him again, taking advantage of his shocked, parted lips to deepen the kiss. It was slow and gentle, as she tried to soothe away his insecurities and any hurt she caused him. Hiccup relaxed into the kiss after a few seconds, kissing her with just as much feeling. Astrid sighed blissfully when he wrapped his arms around her then, hands sliding up her back to hold her against him. Astrid gripped his shoulders and let herself sway over him, sliding along his lap slowly, rubbing as closely to him as she could and enticing him to be bold.

Hiccup sighed into the kiss, taking the bait, crawling back against the bed with her on his lap until they rested in the center. He slid his hands back down her back, then hesitated a second at the hem of her shirt before shakily sliding his hands under, pressing against the bare skin of her back. Astrid breath hitched for the thousandth time that day. She leaned back a little and surprised him by pulling the tunic right off, glad she had taken her armor off before going over. Hiccup stared like a startled animal, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.

Astrid had grown out of her bashfulness of showing herself off like this in front of Hiccup during her experience, so luckily she wasn't nearly as bashful. This was fortunate, because otherwise it would have made this so much more awkward and Astrid rather skip over that as quickly as possible. "Aren't you going to return the favor..?" she asked carefully. Hiccup flushed deeply and hesitated again, squirming a little. He hadn't ever taken his shirt off in front of any of them, having been much too embarrassed by his slim figure.

Astrid saw the reluctance and tried to be as patient as she could. "Please..?" she cooed tenderly, rubbing his cheek soothingly. Hiccup cleared his throat but grabbed the hem of his own tunic and slid it off. He looked away then, not wanting to risk seeing disappointment in her eyes. He felt her shift a little, then gasped in shock when he felt her lips on his chest. "You have nothing to be ashamed of," she murmured against him, stroking him gently, kissing him right over his heart. Hiccup shook as he stared down at her in wonderment, overwhelmed by her kind and gentle way with him.

Astrid pushed off his lap then, startling him, his eyes wide again. She smiled reassuringly to him, then shimmied out of her skirt and leggings, leaving her in only her bindings. Hiccup swallowed in nervous excitement, watching her strip before him, watching a fantasy of his come to life. Astrid slid right back onto his lap, and took his shaking hands then, guiding them to her covered breasts, smiling at his astonished expression. "Hiccup, the quicker you relax, the easier this will get..." she suggested softly.

Hiccup bit his lip and nodded. "I... I know..." he all but squeaked, much too full of tense nerves to do so readily.

Astrid reached for his face again, stroking his jaw. "Will you unbind me?" she asked quietly. A sharp sense of deja vu made her heart clench. _Will you help me remove my armor?_ Astrid could almost hear an echo of his voice. It might have made her feel pain before, but now she simply smiled at the irony, of how swapped their positions now were. Gazing patiently at him, she grinned fondly at his reaction to her question, eyes softening adoringly.

Hiccup's jaw set and he nodded, probably a bit too eagerly. She felt his shaky hands reach behind her to her tie and began to unravel it. Astrid held still, trying not to let herself get too overwhelmed by this, excitement, desire, and her own nervousness all competing for attention within her, choking her up a little. As he pulled her binding off then, her heart couldn't beat any faster. "Remember, confidence is sexy," she encouraged him, then smiled at the determination in his eyes. To her surprise, Hiccup wrapped his hands around her again and pulled them over the bed, laying her gently against it beneath him. His hands were still shaking, but this was a far cry from barely being able to touch her.

His hands hovered over her and his eyes flicked to hers. "M-May I..?" he asked.

Astrid laughed softly. "Hiccup, you don't need to ask for permission, I... I am... yours to touch..." she told him with a matching deep flush.

Hiccup sighed, relief flooding him that she was giving him leeway. "I've... fantasized..." he admitted, blushing almost shamefully.

Astrid grinned, knowing well he had, it being obvious and natural. "So have I," she admitted.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Of... of me..?" he asked, once again in a tone of absolute wonderment.

"Of course, _you_ ," Astrid laughed. "Hiccup, you might be skinnier than the average Viking, but I've... _always_ , been attracted to you," she admitted.

Hiccup's eyes held disbelief in them. "Even when I was..?"

Astrid knew what he was asking. Back before he shot down Toothless, when he was frail and small. "Yes. Always," she insisted. "Please, touch me..." she pleaded gently. Hiccup's eyes flushed with relief, desire, and curiosity then and then his hands were finally, _finally_ sliding over her breasts, rough palms cupping her gently. Astrid sighed in pleasure, hands rubbing his arms soothingly, smiling when her little sigh made him shiver and blush again.

Astrid laid there, motionless, besides her calming caresses over him, letting him take his time, watching him as his eyes roamed over her while he kneaded her. The curiosity in his eyes won out for a moment and he ran his thumbs over her nipples. Astrid gasped at the sudden feeling, feeling the familiar ache inside her spike.

Hiccup glanced up. "Was that... okay?" he asked. Astrid nodded, unable to get her voice out for the moment. Hiccup went back to it and rubbed her again, watching with interest as the more he did, the harder they got, and the more Astrid seemed to like it. Astrid panted softly, the dull tingle between her thighs beginning to throb the more he touched her. Hiccup experimented, rolling and squeezing, stoking the fire of need within her by the second.

Astrid's desire for him was beginning to make her lose focus, her body tugging at her for attention, her blood rushing and hot pounding making it impossible to concentrate on anything but it. "Hiccup," she whispered, catching his attention. "Unbind me?" she asked a little urgently, flicking her eyes down. Hiccup blushed deeply again, but this time didn't hesitate nearly as much, removing his hands to sit up a little and carefully unbound her, pulling her covering off. He stared for a second, blush reaching his neck. Astrid was a little overwhelmed by how polar opposite he was to the Hiccup she had known. She knew everyone started out this way though, even though she hadn't had the chance to go through this, as _he_ had been very quick and very efficient.

Astrid tugged him back to her, directing him to lean over her, then took his hand and guided him to where she ached the most. "Please," she said quietly, not sure what else to say without sounding too experienced. Hiccup seemed to understand though, no doubt having had embarrassing lessons and fantasies like every other adolescent. Hiccup took a shuddering breath but let his curiosity overrule his nerves again and slipped his hand between her legs.

Hiccup's eyes shot back up at her when she whimpered a little, feeling a twinge of arousal make his steadily increasing desires so much worse with it. Astrid nodded again, biting her lip. Hiccup went back to his exploration and dipping his fingers between her folds, curling his fingers, noting how she trembled beneath him. "R-Rub it, please... like-like this," Astrid gasped, guiding his hand over her aching center to show him how.

Hiccup began to do as he was instructed, eyeing her carefully as his fingers glided back and forth against her silky sex, feeling more and more hard by the second. Hiccup took his other hand then and slid it over one of her breasts again, rubbing her nipple just as gently, watching with great interest as she began to unravel beneath his touch, moaning softly now, making the tent in his pants uncomfortable. Hiccup found he _very much_ liked giving her pleasure, struck speechless by how much it aroused him.

Astrid laid there, eyes closed now, lips parted, her body singing as she felt his hands on her. Gods, she missed this more than she thought. Hiccup wanted to map out her body, learn every little spot that made her make those wonderful little noises, but he was too eager right now. So he decided to stick to one area, searching around to see what gave her the most pleasure. He found one little spot then and was surprise by the violent jolt and cry from her. Astrid called his name breathlessly, already lost with desire for him, her clit thrumming hotly where he rubbed it accidentally. Hiccup paused, his fingers stilling in that interesting little area. He looked up curiously. "Did you... did you l-like that?" he asked nervously, hoping that cry wasn't pain.

"Y-Yes!" Astrid gasped. "Please, do that again," she begged him, trying to coax him in the right direction. Hiccup nodded and very gently rubbed that little lump again, watching with extremely arousing interest as she twisted beneath him, panting and moaning louder now. Astrid whined impatiently, the heat boiling in her belly so strong it began to intoxicate her.

With how deliberate Hiccup was being, the first time exploring her body, this was _so much worse_ than her experience before, in a very _very_ good way. That Hiccup already knew her, this one was making sure he was thorough and oh _Freyja_ was it maddening. Unable to take it anymore, Astrid tugged at his arms. "Hiccup, I... I need you..." she said, not really sure what she could tell him to get him to hurry, but fortunately Hiccup seems to understand again, which made him blush darker.

With nervous hands, he leaned back and unbuckled his prosthetic, hesitating again before finishing up in front of her, deciding if they were going to be doing _that_ , he could afford to let her see his stump. Once he was free of it, he hurriedly kicked out of his pants and pulled his own covering off, flushing when she looked at him.

This was only the second time Astrid got a good look at him and oh she still wondered how she could make it fit in her. She saw his insecurity again and gently pulled him back to her, whispering in his ear. "I... like what I see..." she assured him sincerely, swatting away her own nervousness, hoping with how calm and forward she was being, she wasn't tipping him off. Luckily, Hiccup was so nervous he simply seemed happy at least one of them was comfortable with this.

Hiccup gulped and groaned appreciatively in response, shuddering in her hold. He reached down again, searching for her entrance and Astrid's breath was lost again, already wet and completely aching for him. Astrid was in a world of burning salacious desire for him and agonizing anxiety, but she let him have this, needing for him to gain confidence. He found the opening and curiously pushed a finger in. Astrid gasped and raised herself up to meet his probing finger, trying to grind herself against his arm. Hiccup glanced up again, getting familiar with the tantalizing look of desire on her face, and began to slide in and out curiously.

Astrid panted, wrapping her legs around him then and tugged at him encouragingly. " _Hiccup_..." she called to him imploringly. Hiccup got the picture and carefully aligned himself, grunting in pleasure at handling himself. With one hard and entirely too rushed plunge, Hiccup pushed his substantial length in as far as he could get it to go, eyes rolling at the intoxicating feeling of her silky heat wrapping around his aching cock. Astrid had completely forgotten that she was, in fact, still virgin and the pain that shot through her at his very eager thrust was like a shocking slap to the face. " _W-Wait_ -!" Astrid cried out with the force of his penetration, her grip on him tightening enough to make him notice.

Hiccup snapped out of his bliss, his head jerking back to look at her in a panic. "What-what what's wrong?!" he asked in a labored gasp, completely stilling his movements.

Astrid cringed, trying to take deep breaths and find the words. It was a little difficult when she felt like she had been split in half. Too full, too much pressure. Even so, she fought to stay calm and shook her head. "N-Nothing... just... too much... all at once..." she answered brokenly, though it was very much the truth as well. Her body was not used to this and she had forgotten for a second. Hiccup might have been small in general before, but right now, there was _nothing_ small about Hiccup Haddock. She couldn't tell him that it hurt her though, that would scare him away and she needed him to _not be scared_ of this!

Hiccup gaped at the clear signs of pain in her eyes. He did this. He _hurt_ her! Gods, what had he done? His father never told him about _this_! "A-Astrid..." he gasped, struggling to stay still.

Astrid felt him try to pull away, run away, and she was forced to grab his hips and keep him still, keeping him firmly inside her. "I'm _fine_ , Hiccup," Astrid insisted with unwavering stubbornness. She was a Viking, she could take a little pain. It had just surprised her, she just needed a little time to adjust.

Hiccup's face twisted guiltily. Why did people do this if it hurt them? "But- it... it hurt you..? Are... are you sure?" he asked remorsefully.

The pressure of him heavy and deep inside her was almost too much to bear, but damn it, she would bear it! She had wanted this, damn it! It hadn't been anywhere near this bad before... but then, that body had been prepared. This one was still tender and soft. "Hiccup, you have to... move, I-uh, I think..." Astrid cringed slightly, almost giving away that she knew too much. "N-Not like 'move away' move, but start, um... you know... _moving_..." she groaned, trying to push his hips that were crushing into her, back a little with shaking hands. "I need you... to start moving, babe."

Hiccup didn't look convinced in the least, but he pulled away, eyes widening at the shudder and not at all pleased gasp she made, hesitating for only a second before sliding back in, slowly this time, and repeating. The pleasure he felt rushing through him was fighting for his attention, but he was much too focused on the intense concern he felt for her. As he moved in and out, he watched her face contort with different reactions, even as his body howled at him to plow into her.

Astrid shook beneath him, breathing a sigh of relief after a moment as the overbearing pressure began to lessen. Astrid looked up at him then and saw the shame and worry etched all over his face. Her eyes softened, knowing how deeply he cared for her, how much this was also hurting him, though not in the same way, but hurting him still. Astrid reached up to his face, gingerly running the pads of her fingers tips along the angles of his face, trying to caress the lines of worry away. "I need you," she told him softly.

Hiccup made a very conflicted expression then, lust, concern, guilt, and longing, having an idea of what she wanted him to do but still too hesitant to do it. "Astrid... I..."

Astrid reached up to his neck, tugging him down to her so she could whisper in his ear, smiling weakly at the shiver it caused him. "Make love to me, Hiccup," she cooed, trying to encourage him to relax, repeating the words she had spoken to him in another life. She hadn't actually told him how she felt about him yet, so she knew the affects the words would have on him.

Just as it happened last time, a full body shudder raced over him and he moaned, his face shifting to one of gods blessed determination. With a nod of acceptance, Hiccup began to really move then, firm, persistent thrusts filling Astrid's senses. The more he moved, the more lost Hiccup seemed to get, eyes glazing over. Astrid held onto him tightly, forcing her body to relax and take him in. Watching his body sway over her, back and forth, his breath completely out of control, sweat beginning to trail over him, was magnificent, making her feel her desire grow with each moan from him.

Just like she knew it would, his rough motions, grinding his hip bone against her with each strike of his hips, sparked in her the deep, gnawing pleasure that grew hotter and louder the more he filled her. Soon the sloppy rhythm of his efforts chased away the pain, replacing it with an profoundly pounding hunger within her that forced tiny continual moans and gasps from her. So many years of repressed desires for him were coming out all at once. It was blinding, it was agony, and she loved every second of it.

"A-Astr.. id... better..?" Hiccup gasped, grunting with every thrust, his body shuddering with each snap of his hips.

"Y-Ye-es..." Astrid moaned in rapture, arching against him, meeting his hips with hers, finally feeling the flood of pleasure soothe away all the ache she had felt, surging through her, forcing trembles and the burning inside her to inspire deep, aching yearning.

Unfortunately, just as her body began to sing, the maddening point of completion just in her grasp, as she adjusted fully to him, welcome him in with exuberance, she felt him swell rapidly. Astrid whimpered at the feeling, the toxic feeling of pain and pleasure making her dizzy and somehow increased her voracious craving for him. Hiccup moaned above her, lost in his own world of pleasure, his thrusts becoming an almost painful blur of motion the closer he got to the edge. Astrid gripped his arms, trying to work her hips up to meet his as much as she could, relief just a reach away. "Hiccup, please babe, hold it... hold it..." she begged him, shaking beneath him as she clung onto him tightly.

"It's..." Hiccup moaned, panting as his body rocked with abandon. "It's so... hard..." he groaned, unaware he was mirroring his counterpart by saying that.

Astrid shuddered at his unintentional but very accurate description of himself. The shield-maiden panted, her grasp over his shoulder tightening. "Please... try to make it last..." she pleaded with a whimper, arching against him as he shook with effort to keep from blowing his load too soon. Hiccup let out a whine of pain as he did all he could to hold it together, slow himself down, when all he wanted was to crush into her.

Astrid's heart ached for him, understanding how difficult it must be for him, she hated to compare them so much, but his older self had quite a bit of practice under his belt, but this was the first time for him. Although, technically, it was only the second time for her too. Even though it hurt him with the effort he made, he tried for her, and her love for him soared with every effort he made, knowing how much he was willing to suffer for her. Her heart cooed and her fingers stroked his scalp lovingly, the love she felt overwhelming her.

Despite his best efforts though, it was not to be. Hiccup just didn't have the experience to keep himself together. With a hoarse groan through clenched teeth, his body gave out on him. Astrid reared up, gasping at the feeling of him letting go inside her, moaning in both woefulness and erotic arousal at the heat rushing into her, his shaft throbbing hard between her walls. So close... she was _so very_ close...

When he slowed his thrusts to a stop, he stared down at her in shocked distress."I-I'm... I'm sorry..." he gasped, flushing in both embarrassment and guilt as he reluctantly pulled his hips away, unable to do much more at the moment.

Astrid tried to hold back her protest as he pulled away. "I-It's... okay..." she said shakily, trying to soothe him, at the same time trying to ignore her burning, neglected arousal. Hiccup frowned thoughtfully then, glancing down at her dismayed expression she tried to hide, at her trembling legs still wrapped around him, and had an idea. Astrid tried not to whimper as her pleasure began to remorselessly leave her. She couldn't make him feel any worse than he already did though, so she would put up with it, if only for him. "I'm not upse-" she was cut off then with a gasp, feeling his fingers slide between her legs. Almost instantly, she felt herself become absolutely wet with desire, all over again.

Without prompt or another word, Hiccup probed her slowly and deliberately, listening to the sounds she made again, letting them guide him to where she needed him the most. Astrid didn't have time to be pleasantly surprised this time, feeling him lean over then to kiss her neck lovingly, leaving little trails until he found the spot he discovered that she enjoyed quite a bit. He wrapped his mouth around that tender spot in her neck, where he could feel her pulse pounding quickly, and let his teeth gently scrape over it before sucking on it. Meanwhile his fingers experimentally wiggled against her, trying to see what made her feel the most pleasure. " _Hic_ -Hicc... _uup_!" she strained out, arching up into his hand, trembling and overwhelmed with appreciation.

Hiccup glanced over at her for a second, making sure it was a positive reaction. "Do... you like that?" he mumbled against her neck.

"Y-Ye- _ees_..!" Astrid groaned out her double-meaning response, her grip around his shoulders tightening as familiar tendril of ecstasy mercifully flooded her aching body.

Hiccup concentrated, trying to make up for hurting her before. As his mouth massaged her neck tenderly, he searched for that spot that he knew she liked the most, having felt that little nub in his earlier exploration. When he found it, pulled himself from her neck to study her. He pushed against it, cataloging how she began to twist and pant beneath him. He rolled his finger over it, watching her eyes screw shut. He pressed down on it, and raised a brow when she arched up into his touch, squirming in desperation, trying to take his finger into her. Curiously, Hiccup explored a little further, finding the warmth that drove him insane earlier, pushing a long finger in and stroking her walls like he did before.

Astrid thrashed, whining when he slipped into her before beginning to slide it in and out, rubbing his hand against her clit while pumping the digit. Astrid did everything she could to keep from telling him exactly what she wanted, again not wanting to seem like she knew too much, but he was killing her! Unable to stop herself, she moaned for more, reaching down to tug at his fingers. Hiccup flushed but his eyes filled with curiosity again and he pushed in another finger. Astrid arched again, panting and whining. She grabbed his other hand then and pulled it to her breast, begging him to rub her.

Hiccup couldn't be happier to comply, grinding his hand against her raw sex while rubbing her tender nipple, watching with aroused interest as it hardened quickly at his touch. He used his thumb and finger then to grip her nipple gently, then gave it a little squeeze and shuddered again at the sob of pleasure that escaped her. Yes, this was good... but not enough, he needed to do more for her. Wondering if it worked similarly with the little bump, he switched out one of his fingers to get a good grip of it between his thumb and finger while still maintaining his rhythm and very carefully squeezed down on her clit. Astrid spasmed and shrieked. Better.

As soon as Hiccup found a good rhythm, he began gently but continuously rolling and pressing into the bundle of nerves while still pumping his digits. Astrid jerked with each persistent caress of his fingers and she screeched his name when he began to squeeze her clit. Panting and straining in his hold, her body was unable to take it anymore. " _Haa_ -Hicc- _uuh_...!" her eyes squeezed tight, body locking up, pleasure lacerating at her nerves until she couldn't contain it and let go.

Hiccup felt her walls rapidly slide shut around his still thrusting finger as she sobbed, and he had to bite back his own moan, imagining it was his length instead. Trying to ignore his own renewed need in favor of hers, he kept on rubbing, waiting until she finally stopped writhing beneath him, until she stopped shaking so harshly, until she sighed in relief and relaxed back against the bed limply. Then he gently pulled away. He regarded her curiously, noting the relief on her face. "Better?" he asked softly, willing to put off his own desire to make sure he made up for earlier, he was a Viking, after all, he could take it.

Astrid took a moment to gather up her melted, blown away brain. "G-Gods _yes_!" she gasped, unaware that he would already know how to make her fall to pieces like that. She should have known though, Hiccup was excellent at puzzling things out, tinkering with new ideas and working out problems at an almost scary speed. As far as first times went, this couldn't have gone any better. After a few seconds of trying to catch her breath, she noticed how still and concentrated he appeared. "Are you okay?" she asked curiously.

Hiccup let out a humorless laugh. "I should be asking _you_ that!" he said, cheeks still flushed. "I... I _hurt_ you..." he murmured, his face crumbling again.

Astrid shook her head and pulled him down to kiss her softly. "You made up for it, _believe me_. Besides, I'm a Viking. I can handle a little pain," she told him firmly, trying to reassure him. Hiccup was hiding something though, she could see it in the way his cheek twitched. Concern flooded her. "Hiccup, what's wrong?"

Hiccup averted his eyes with a deeper blush. "N-Nothing..." he mumbled, trying to shift away from her.

Astrid frowned in worry, not liking how he retreated like that. It was then when he shifted a certain way, that she saw what was bothering him. "Hiccup, wait," she called to him, tugging at his arm when he began to get off he bed. Hiccup turned back to look at her painfully. "Come back, lay with me?" she implored, stretching her other arm out toward him. Hiccup bit his lip but couldn't resist obeying her, sinking back into the bed with her. Once he settled next to her, he gasped when he felt her hand very gently wrap around his aching shaft.

"W-What are y-"

"-You helped me, now I'll help you. Sound fair?" she asked him, lifting a brow in challenge.

Oh gods, she was a temptress! "Uh..." Hiccup swallowed thickly. Was he actually supposed to answer that? "You don't hav- _ahh_...!" he felt his body buck forward, her hand squeezed down around him and began pulling gently, rendering him helpless. "A-Astrid... what- _uhh_..." Hiccup's words were lost to a stream of praises and moans from deep within his throat. He gripped his bed tightly, gasping and trying hard not to thrust up too roughly into her pumping hand. How was she doing that so well? Was she that observant? Hiccup could barely form a coherent thought in his brain though, his body quickly becoming consumed by an agonizing pressure deep in his gut.

Astrid smiled, trying hard not to shift where she lay next to him, knowing it would just torture her. The sight of him writhing and crying in pleasure at her touch was thrilling and it sent a constant pulse of desire deep inside her. It got worse with each jerk of his hips, each throaty moan, at how much he swelled in her hand, hot and hard. Gods, it was both a torment and unbelievably amazing.

Astrid closed her eyes and imagined him inside her, imagined her walls sliding shut around him as he pumped back and forth into her. Her breath lost, feeling a quiver of a tiny orgasm ripple through her at just the thought, she tried to mimic what that might feel like for him. Unable to stop herself, she slid her hand between her own legs, panting almost as much as he was, She squeezed his erection slightly more, trying to be as gentle as she could along his sensitive skin, while still firm enough to drive him insane, sliding her closed fist up and down his magnificent length.

Soon enough, Hiccup began to howl, his entire body shaking next to her, and then she felt warmth rush over her hand. Astrid didn't mind, she simply reached for a sheet of parchment that he seemed to have plenty of and wiped her hand clean, tossing the paper into the trash. Turning back to him, Astrid practically quivered at the amazing sight of him. His hands covered his face as he attempted to find his wits again, his rapidly developing chest moved hard with every panting breath he took, sweat covered every slick inch of him, sliding over strained muscles. There he went again, being obliviously sexually beguiling without even realizing what he did to her... yet.

Not wanting to distress him any more, Astrid quickly swiped over her own need, rubbing her clit until she felt herself go and bit her lip hard to keep from making a sound as he recovered beside her. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or completely disappointed at how unsatisfying her finish was then, but at least it helped her stay silent. Gods, it seemed only he could manage to make her orgasm so totally anymore.

" _Freyja_..." Hiccup sighed then, finally relaxing, and Astrid nearly laughed out loud at the irony of his exaltation. She rested next to him, a satisfied smile on her lips, feeling both empowered and relieved she could make him feel just as much pleasure as he could make her feel. After a few seconds of relaxing next to each other, simply enjoying the feeling, Astrid squeaked in surprise when he grabbed her and pulled her flush against his sweaty, naked body.

It should have been gross, but _so_ wasn't, and suddenly she thrummed hotly for him all over again, but for now the feel of his arms, warm and strong once again, soothed the ache to the back of her mind. Hiccup seemed to notice though. "Are you... okay?" he murmured against her, wondering if she needed help again after doing... _that_ , for him. He'd be _more_ than happy to help her again.

Knowing with much satisfaction that they could always do more later, Astrid sighed contentedly, loving the feel of being pressed against him so lovingly again, having yearned for this more than anything else for entirely too long. She rested her cheek over his chest, listening to his steady heart beat, legs tangled with his, feeling his warmth wrap around her, letting the pure bliss it brought her comfort her. "I couldn't be better." For now, all she wanted was his arms.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** I'm sorry the smut in this chapter was so cringe-worthy and bleh, first times and all, they're awkward and they hurt, especially when neither of them are actually expecting it to. It had to be done though. No worries! It will certainly, definitely and without a doubt not be the last smut, and of course, knowing me, there will be some damn hot ones in the future! If I do say so myself. Yes, I totally made reference to "Waking Up" here lol._

 _(In case for some reason someone out there thinks this is the last chapter, no it is certainly not. It is far from it, trust me. Just FYI.)_

 _Also, I know a few of you want me to add a rival to my story but it simply doesn't fit. I'm trying to keep the characters mostly in character and parallel my story with Race to the Edge. There's no one who can really come between Astrid and Hiccup either, because Astrid has too strong a personality and Hiccup is reassured by it to really be bothered by anyone. Nope, at least in this story, there will be no rival._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Mia:** I know, right? And yeah that bit I did know about, though what kind of secret they'd have that would actually bring them closer, and that not being the secret, is interesting to ponder... ugh, not sure I can wait a whole month for the second part!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Well, that'd diverge from RTTE way too much. This story is AU enough as it is, no need to add a chaotic element like pregnancy. It's supposed to be parallel to RTTE and she isn't preggo at any point. It would be an interesting twist though, I can totally imagine it._

 _ **Gamer Spice:** Oh Astrid is _much _more dangerous than a feral dragon!_

 _ **holly0225:** Sorry but that's not going to happen in this story. I very much appreciate the kind words! Not sure what "writersfanfic" is but thanks!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Spark" by Digital Daggers._

* * *

The next morning had been an interesting one.

Astrid woke up feeling sore in places she didn't know could be sore... but then, the memories of what had happened last night made her smile half-asleep, and suddenly the soreness was almost... pleasant. Satisfaction unlike anything she had ever felt filled her as she blinked awake, taking in the early morning sights around her. She grinned sleepily where she rested against Hiccup. Just like it had happened once before, she found herself completely tangled with him. Since she liked to listen to his heart, her head rested on his chest, halfway on top of him, one of her arms across his middle, the other tucked between them. Hiccup was twisted toward her, one arm over the bed above her head, the other across her shoulders, keeping her close to him... and as always, their legs tangled together. Astrid closed her eyes for a moment and pressed her lips to his chest, breathing in his comforting scent, reveling in his warmth, feeling more content than she had in a long time.

This should have seemed awkward, but it wasn't at all, it felt natural... and maybe it had been helped by their efforts last night. They hadn't actually tried again last night after the first time, but neither of them were in a huge rush, figuring they had a few days until Stoick returned. They spent the rest of the night holding each other, simply talking about everything that came to mind. They pressed against one another, and even when it got Hiccup ready again, they didn't make love again. First and foremost, Astrid wanted to get past the awkwardness, so they talked, kissed a little, got comfortable with the intimacy, and basked in the simplicity but powerful significance of it, until they fell asleep in each others arms.

Astrid smiled up at him tenderly, watching him sleep, all the excitement and stresses of a day washed away, leaving him serene and quiet, facial features relaxed completely. Astrid shifted a little, wincing slightly with the movement and rolling her eyes a little at her body's protest. Unable to resist, she reached for his cheek and stroked his face lovingly, tracing the contours, marveling on how rapidly he had physically matured, how handsome he was. His eyes opened then, blinking slowly and with a mild bit of confusion. "I'm sorry I woke you," she said softly.

"Mmf..?" Hiccup stared at her in half-asleep contemplation. "A-Astrid..? Is this a dream..?" he asked drowsily.

Astrid laughed softly and leaned over him, kissing him lightly over his lips, resting against them a second. "Does this feel like a dream?" she asked against his mouth. Hiccup flushed in response and she grinned when she felt his arms wrap fully around her, pulling her back to his body, his face burying in her neck. Astrid rested against him again and sighed in pleasure, not able to get enough of the feel of him cocooning her in his embrace. Nestled against him, she reached over and strokes her fingers through his messy hair. "I love how warm you are..." she admitted quietly.

Hiccup smiled softly against her neck, his hold tightening just a little. "You're... always welcome in my arms..." he said a little shyly, blushing again and glad she couldn't see it.

Astrid's eyes softened, shutting blissfully at his words, feeling her heart swell so much more intensely at that. He didn't even know how much that made her love him all the more. She kissed his head sweetly, trying to control the overwhelming rush of affection she felt for him. "That... means a lot to me to hear," she cooed, caressing his back with one hand, and scalp with the other.

They remained this way for a little longer, Hiccup resting nearly completely over her, his face tucked between her shoulder and neck, every once in a while leaving a little kiss, making her shiver each time, and Astrid caressing him lovingly, swimming in the overwhelming love she felt for him, now so free to feel it soared within her, leaving her dazed and warm. She could remain this way forever... if it weren't for the fact the beds they had were slabs of wood and not the most comfortable in the world. Thus, Astrid had to shift a little beneath him to get more comfortable.

"'Strid..." Hiccup mumbled, jostled by her movement.

Astrid resisted the girlish giggling that wanted to come out. "Did I wake you again?" she asked in mild amusement.

Hiccup grunted in response. "A little..." he mumbled, kissing her neck again, smiling when she shivered.

"Sorry, let me just..." Astrid squirmed, trying to turn a little, then gasped slightly when she felt something now familiar brushing against her slightly, followed by a little groan from him. "Hiccup..?"

"Sorry, can't control it... it's the morning, after all..." Hiccup mumbled again in apology, though Astrid could feel him grinning against her and this time couldn't stop the giggle. She felt him relax then at her amusement and wondered if he was still nervous. She wouldn't be surprised of course, this was only the morning after. She pulled her arms around him, kissing his shoulder, trying to assure him that she didn't mind... at all, in fact. Hiccup hummed in relief and kissed her neck again, letting his tongue push against her pulse point. Astrid's eyes fluttered shut at the feeling, sliding a hand to the back of his head, caressing him, encouraging him. Hiccup's mouth latched on and he sucked a little, smiling when she let out a little moan.

Astrid lost her breath, feeling him growing more and more by the second, pressing against her thigh enticingly. Her body twinged in pain slightly with memory, resonating in response to his early morning arousal, but she couldn't deny that it was also getting her excited. She felt his hand slide over to her side then, next to her breast but not quite touching it, stroking over her tingling skin gently, teasingly. He lifted his head a little and the hope in his eyes made her laugh fondly again. "How long do we have until we have to get up for the day and go to the academy?" she asked with a fake resigned sigh. Mostly it was for show though, Astrid was thrilled to be with him and eager to feel him inside her again, even if it had hurt the first time. She reached for his jaw, scratching at the light bit of morning scruff, smiling in amusement when he almost purred, before tugging him closer.

Hiccup's face split into a grin as he maneuvered himself over her. "Oh we-we definitely have around ten minutes, at least," he answered enthusiastically.

Astrid shivered again at the feel of his body encasing her against the bed. She laughed softly. "Ten minutes?" she asked playfully, lifting a brow.

Hiccup blushed again. "...It... might not actually take that long..." he admitted a little guiltily. "Uh... probably a lot less..." he murmured and looked away.

Astrid pulled at his cheeks gently, getting him to look at her again. "We can make it work," she grinned.

Hiccup slumped in relief. "Oh thank Thor," he sighed loudly, making her laugh at his dramatic antics.

Their lips met again, hungry mouths eager to get reacquainted. Hiccup gently pressed himself against her, one of his hands reaching down to rub her, trying to stimulate her. His fingers dipped between her folds eagerly, searching for that little spot that made her make all those little sounds he liked, grinning when he found it and felt her body jerk beneath him in response. He concentrated on it, rolling the pad of his finger back and forth over it until she began to squirm and pant with desire. Hiccup wasn't sure how long it would take for her to really get ready... yet, but he was more than willing to take mental notes and work her out like he figured out designs to a new invention.

Astrid moaned softly at his attentive touch, surprised by how bold and thoughtful he was being, so much unlike last night, when he was too nervous to even touch her. "Hiccup..." she murmured beseechingly, tugging him to her. She was still very much sore, but she still eagerly spread her legs for him, stretching out beneath him, pulling at his shoulders until he moved, letting him sidle in between her knees, unable to deny she wanted him just as much. She pulled him back into her arms, feeling his chest press against her breasts, running her finger tips over his shoulders, over his neck, feeling his muscles shift as he pressed against her.

Astrid let out another sigh, loving the pressure of his body on her, feeling the familiar tingle of need spark her desire for him inside her. She closed her eyes in pleasure, feeling his other hand tentatively at first, then more confidently glide over her body, over her curves, settling on her ass to lift her up a little as he aligned himself again. Her heart began to race again, breathing quickly, feeling him shift forward a little, bracing himself. Then she felt the tip of his erection pressing just barely into her sex and she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her, lips parted, her grip over him tightening, desire beginning to pulse hotly in preparation for him.

A bang from the behind them made them gasp and jerk their attention to the large window just below the ceiling, Hiccup's larger body shielding Astrid protectively. Then they saw the source of the noise. Toothless was perched there, head tilted curiously, having climbed up the house. With a questioning warble, the Night Fury cautiously slunk his way into the room blinking owlishly at them. Toothless could smell the pheromones in the air and knew they had _finally_ decided to end their mating dance and become a pair already. Honestly those two had been circling each other for _much_ too long and Toothless was beginning to wonder if they even wanted to mate. He might not be as experienced as most other beasts of the world, but he wasn't stupid or blind.

" _Toothless_..." Hiccup grunted in irritation. "Five minutes bud, you couldn't wait _five minutes_?" Despite how annoying this way, Astrid couldn't help giggling at Hiccup's frustration. "No, _Astrid_ , no, don't _encourage_ him..." Hiccup whined, head hanging in defeat, scowling at his dragon who gave him his own amused, throaty chuckle. With an irritated sigh, Hiccup pulled away from her slightly, still pressed enticingly against her, blindly reaching for his pants. Astrid wanted to tell him to just get up but the feel of him was too nice to bother saying anything. "Toothless likes to fly a bit in the morning and catch breakfast before we'd go to the academy," he explained in a grumble, earning an affirmative croon from the Night Fury. "He won't leave well enough alone until he gets his breakfast..." he huffed and finally moved away.

Astrid sighed in disappointment and glanced over at Toothless as he made his way to his slab and sat patiently. Well, at least he waited until they were awake and not sometime during the night. She sighed again, then smiled at her boyfriend who was now in the process of carefully sliding his breaches back on, tucking himself into his pants. Gods, why was that little act so arousing? Shaking her head again to focus, she reached for him. "Hey," Astrid said, catching his arm as he went to get up. Hiccup turned to her curiously, blushing furiously when the covers he had shifted around slid a little off her body. Astrid was very aware and not at all ashamed. She smirked a little at his response, eyebrow lifting with interest as he _reacted_ to her, breaches tenting further, making him flush darker. "There's always... tonight..." she said with promise. The wide grin that split over his face again made her laugh.

For now, they carefully got dressed and prepared for the day, trying not to get over stimulated by each other even before the day began. Hiccup did everything he could to calm his body down, though with Astrid so close to him it was a bit difficult. The thought of going out and dipping into freezing water for smelly fish with his overgrown, impatient lizard helped though. When they finished dressing and using the wash basin, they smiled at each other and hugged, feeling relieved that the overbearing tension between them had lessened significantly. "This is nice..." Hiccup murmured, giving her an affectionate squeeze and grinning at the happy sigh she let out as a result.

"Mm..." Astrid hummed in agreement, kissing his jaw affectionately, a jaw now smoothed by his effort to shave with his dagger. Astrid had watched him in fascination, noticing how steady and calculated his hand was with each stroke. Gods above, his hands were beyond talented. She nestled into him, so very glad he was bigger than her now. The way his warm body molded around her, trapping her against him was just so addictive, she never wanted to leave his arms. Unfortunately, Toothless had other ideas.

Toothless huffed impatiently then, groaning with hunger for tasty fish, his head plopping down dramatically over his slab as he watched them, pouting and crooning mournfully. Hiccup huffed in frustration, shooting his dragon a little glare, before leaning over and kissing her cheek soft and gingerly. "Sorry, see you at the academy in a bit..?

Astrid smiled. "Of course," she responded, then lifted a brow to the impatient whine from the dragon. "Toothless is a big baby, isn't he?" she asked, earning an offended snort from the intelligent dragon.

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, he's a spoiled brat, aren't you bud?" he shot him a look. Toothless growled playfully in response, hiding his face with his tail fin. "Alright, well, I better go before he drags me out..." he sighed again, reluctantly pulling away from her, letting his fingers slide along her wrist as he did, and smiling as she bit her lip from it. He turned then to walk over to Toothless. "Bud, we really have to work on your timing... and patience," Hiccup protested as he pulled himself onto the saddle. In his nervous excitement last night he must have forgotten to take it off, but it worked out now anyway. He gave Astrid one last longing glance before flying out. Astrid smiled as she watched them jet out of the window and made her way out, sneaking out the back of his house.

Unfortunately, they never got a chance to be together like that, like they had after that first night again.

Over the next few weeks their responsibilities would keep them apart for the most part, leaving only time for kissing and little intimacies here and there, but nothing like that night, frustrating them more than it ever had. Stoick had been gone for three days, but those three days had been tense for Hiccup as problems cropped up, especially with _bad_ winter approaching. It was busy work, trying to appease the town, solve disputes, take care of chiefly duties, prepare for winter, and wrangle Vikings together to help. By the end of the day, Hiccup was so exhausted he barely reacted when Astrid laid with him, though hummed in pleasure when she lovingly caressed him. Astrid wasn't as upset as she thought she'd be, oh sure she ached for him, but was content to simply _be_ with him. For now, it was enough for them to just sleep peacefully in each others arms. It at least served to soothe the awkwardness away, so it was something.

When Stoick returned, they didn't even get to have _that_ much. The longing between them had begun to escalate again, this time with the added deprivation of even being able to simply rest in each others embrace. They often gave each other knowing, almost pained looks, wanting nothing more than to just relax together... but until they figured out how to sneak in longer private moments, they couldn't do much. Immediately, Stoick took notice of Hiccup's efforts to prepare for the winter and proudly congratulated him for a job well done. He took over then and tasked the riders to gather food for the upcoming winter.

Two weeks had gone by since then.

Like most days that month, that day they spent it hunting boar, elk, and foraging for fruits and vegetables. Whenever they caught or gathered enough of something, they flew back what they gathered over to the storehouse for inventory. They went back and forth throughout the day, sometimes with luck, other times without. Even the younger kids tried to help. Everyone pitched in, not wanting a repeat of what had happened two years ago, losing the barn to the storm, the dragons scaring the livestock away, little food for the winter. Last year had been a mild bad winter, but this year promised to be almost as bad as the year before, if Bucket's early whimpering and cries from the tightening of his bucket were any indication.

Gustav Larson sat at the entrance of the storehouse, a dazed smile on his face as he watched one particular rider fly over Berk, daydreaming as he did. He sighed every now and then, chin resting on his palm. "Agh!" he flinched then, a hard smack at the back of his head making him nearly careen over. He rubbed his head and turned to glare.

"Hey! Gustav! What are you doing just sitting there?" Snotlout grunted in irritation.

"N-Nothing!" the younger Viking blushed.

"Yeah, exactly! Get back to work! What do you think you're doing, anyway?" Snotlout snorted.

Gustav grinned and flailed his arm out. "Oh, just admiring the _view_ ," he said, gesturing to Astrid as she flew over.

Snotlout shifted the large bag of cabbages he had been hauling to the storehouse and looked up. "Oh, _that_ view," he smirked.

Gustav nodded. "How can I possibly be expected to concentrate on working when I'm so distracted by that beauty?" he asked with a dreamy sigh as Astrid landed with Stormfly, yanking the two dead boars off the Nadder. Fanghook sat next to his human, gazing up just as dazedly at the Deadly Nadder the female human rode.

Snotlout snorted. "Well you better try, _squirt_. You're smaller than even _Hiccup_ was at your age! And _his_ _name_ means runt! So what does that make _you_?" he sneered. "She's _way_ out of your league."

Gustav scowled and stood up, his head just barely reaching up to the older male's shoulders. " _Yeah_? And who would she be with instead then? _You_?" he retorted with an offended huff. He wasn't... _that_ small... and anyway, he was proud to be compared to Hiccup, who was pretty cool in his opinion.

Snotlout puffed out proudly. "Well duh, of course," he answered in his typical factual manner, purposefully ignoring Hookfang's disbelieving snort nearby. "Who wouldn't want to be with me?"

"Uh, how about _every woman_ in the archipelago?" Gustav answered with an amused snicker. Snotlout noticed the two Monsterous Nightmates huff with their own amusement and glowered at all of them. "Gah!" the boy cringed, being smacked again for his trouble.

Astrid walked over then, eyebrow lifting at nearly identical looks of interest from the two short males standing by the entrance. "Whatever you two are talking about, you had better cut it out and get back to work," she warned them, handing the boars over to Sven who was walking back and forth between the storehouse and the docks. When she turned back, she pulled a disgusted face when Gustav made a show of winking and bobbing his eyebrows suggestively, in much the same way Snotlout usually did. Gods, they were almost identical. Astrid rolled her eyes at the fifteen year old and headed out again, shaking her head in disbelief.

"See what you did?" Snotlout smacked him once again, nearly popping his helmet clean off him, earning him a satisfying pained yelp from the younger teen.

By the early evening, they were done for the day. The stress over her work throughout the day was making Astrid ansty. "Hiccup," she said as she approached the chief's son.

"Hm? Hey, Astrid, what's up?" he asked curiously.

Astrid chewed on her lip, then grinned, figuring she knew just how to relieve her stress. "I need to show you something, follow me," she said simply, leading him from the busy storehouse.

Hiccup shrugged and followed. His brow rose when she led him in between a few houses, tucked away from view of just about everyone. As soon as they reached a snug enough alley, he chuckled when she spun and pressed herself against him, hiding her face in his armor. "What's wrong, babe?" he cooed, rubbing her back.

"You dad is driving me crazy..." she grumbled.

"Welcome to my world. He's driving everyone crazy. Bad winter is coming, you know..." Hiccup explained, hugging her close.

Astrid sighed in relief. This was all she really wanted, his arms, his warmth, him. "I know, I know..." she murmured. Hiccup smiled and guided them over to a wall, resting his back against it. Astrid smiled a little and glanced up at him. "You know... I'm pretty sure Gustav has a crush on me, what do you say to that..?" she asked, wanting to see how he'd react to a possible threat to his 'claim'. To her surprise though, Hiccup threw his head back and started laughing loud enough that she had to slap her hand over his mouth. "Hiccup! Are you _crazy_?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, tone dripping with amusement.

Astrid let him go and lifted a curious brow. "Why's that so funny? Wouldn't it make you jealous?"

Hiccup snorted in response, grinning toothily. "No way," he chuckled.

Astrid huffed. "Why not?" she asked. The idea of him crazy with jealousy was actually pretty nice, though she also knew it wasn't really in him to get that way.

Hiccup shrugged. "I'm not really a jealous kind of guy, and certainly not from _Gustav_! Why would I be? You made it _abundantly_ clear that you're interested in _me_ , so what do I have to be jealous of? Besides, Gustav doesn't get to have you in his arms and kiss you whenever he wants, does he?" he smiled, rubbing her cheek adoringly with his thumb.

Astrid rolled her eyes but grinned, reaching over to kiss him, humming in affirmative. To show her appreciation to him, she pushed a little harder against him, letting a leg slide up his body. Hiccup groaned into the kiss, his hands dipping behind her boldly, rubbing her ass and making her sigh in pleasure. He smiled into the kiss and worked one of his hands back around to her thighs...but hesitated, glancing at her as though asking for permission. Astrid took his hand, guiding it to where she wanted him to touch her, pushing it under her skirt and between her legs. "Take," she grunted against his lips, her brow lifted up challengingly, letting him know she was his. Hiccup shuddered in pleasure and happily slid in, rubbing her up and down.

They pulled from the kiss a little, panting from both it and the interesting things his hand was currently doing. "The kid doesn't get to do this either..." he murmured huskily.

Astrid shivered at his tone, eyes rolling slightly as he pressed a little harder, reaching her clit through her leggings and binding. " _Y-Yes_..." she moaned, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. Her own hand trailed down him, sliding over his growing bulge and smiled up at him through her lashes when he bucked a little in response. Astrid laughed a little at his blush and pressed a little closer, eyes closing as she gave in to the tantalizing feeling of him working her to arousal. Her other hand slid to his neck then, tugging him back down to kiss her. Their tongues slid over one another urgently as their hands got a little more eager. She felt him hard and throbbing against her hand and moaned with desire into the kiss.

"Hiccup? Astrid? You guys still here?"

The aforementioned couple cursed under their breaths. Almost every day for the past two weeks they had been getting _interrupted_... they just couldn't catch a break! "Maybe if we stay very still and quiet he'll just go away?" Hiccup murmured against her lips.

"I doubt it, you know how they are..." Astrid sighed in frustration, then pulled away from him reluctantly, and shivered in pleasure when he moaned in her ear. Blinking at him in confusion, she glanced down and flushed, grinning when she saw how painfully aroused he still was. "Well... that's going to be a problem..."

"You know I have no control-"

"-Hiccup, you had better learn to _get_ some control one of these days," she warned him, brow hiking up.

"That's... that's mean..." he all but pouted. Astrid giggled and kissed him, unable to help herself. Then, thinking it through, she reached for his breaches and yanked them open a bit. "W-What- what are you do..." Hiccup trailed off with a groan, feeling her hand slip down his pants and under his cover. He whimpered, feeling her then wrap her hand around his length, pumping it gently. "W-What about- _ahh_... what about um... friends... calling... _uuh_..." his eye rolled back, head hanging against her shoulder.

"They can wait a few minutes, you need this taken care of first," Astrid mumbled back, blushing hotly every time he moaned in her ear.

Hiccup trembled against her, face completely red as she worked his shaft, giving up fighting it. "Might be... disco...ver...ed..." he warned, panting and whining as she twisted her hand a little with each stroke.

Astrid held his hip back with her other hand, keeping him steady. "Where's your sense of adventure, babe?" she grinned at him.

Hiccup strained himself. "Please..." he whimpered, bumping against her hand lightly. Astrid shuddered again and gently tugged him around, this time letting herself rest against the wall. She gripped his hip and pulled him against her, resting his body against hers. Hiccup moaned in appreciation and began to gently sway his hips, thrusting into her pumping hand.

Astrid mouth went completely dry, biting back her own whimper at how completely hot this erotic act was. Hiccup braced his hands on the wall behind her, his body rocking steadily and continually as she slid her hand back and forth over his swollen cock. Hiccup moaned low and urgently, gasping and bucking his hips faster into her hand. Astrid squirmed, pulsing hotly with desire, but resisted pleasuring herself, not wanting to risk more. He was becoming too noisy though. "Hiccup," she said shakily. "Kiss me," she ordered, tugging him to her. Hiccup readily did so, enthusiastically shoving his tongue against hers in desperation.

Astrid increased her speed and pressure, squeezing down, rubbing the head of his erection with her thumb, pinching down on it slightly each time. She did everything she could thing of to help him finish while kissing him hard. Within seconds, Hiccup finally convulsed, moaning hoarsely into the kiss, hips pressing hard into her, ejaculating hard into her hand, fingers digging into the wall he held.

And then, when he could no longer hold himself, he collapsed slightly over her. Astrid gasped a little at his sudden weight, surprised for a second by how heavy he was when he wasn't holding himself up. Astrid shut her eyes, shivering again as he panted in her ear, could feel his chest moving hard, erection that was still in her hand slowly relaxing. She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning in need, not wanting to risk full blown sex in the middle of town.

Astrid cleared her throat then, trying to distract herself once again. "You _really_ need to work on holding yourself back, babe. You're a bit... quick," she said teasingly.

Hiccup groaned in response, blushing deeply. "Just too cruel... it's not like I have a lot of... _real_ practice..." he huffed with a deeper blush, admitting in a way that he had a form of practice getting off, making her smirk with interest. "But... I'll take that under consideration..." he promised.

"Hey! Snotlout said you guys were around here somewhere? We kinda... need help..." Ruffnut said then, the guilt in her tone very obvious.

Astrid and Hiccup sighed, recognizing the sound in her voice. The twins did something again. Hiccup pulled away from her and adjusted his pants. He turned sharply to her then and cupped her cheeks, plunging his tongue down her throat, kissing her with as much hunger and promise as he could, making her head swim and desire pulse stronger than ever within her. When he pulled away, his eyes had a determined glint in them. "I _will_ make it up to you," he promised.

Astrid shuddered again and nodded, stroking his cheek. "You should probably go first, I need a few minutes to calm down..." she said, blushing and biting her lip.

Hiccup tilted his head curiously. "You... liked... doing that..?" he asked in a now familiar tone of wonderment.

Astrid flushed deeper and nodded. "Yes... but don't let that go to your head..."

Hiccup chuckled. "I'm afraid _that_ already happened, milady," he grinned, hoping she wouldn't find his jokes annoying. To his surprise, Astrid laughed and smacked him lightly, her way of telling him he was being cute. Huh, so she liked him joking like that? Noted.

"Go on," she rolled her eyes. Hiccup nodded then and sneaked around the houses to the other side to throw their friends off.

Astrid wiped her other hand over the grass and took a minute to relax, slow her heart down, try to think of anything else to help ease her own raging need. After a bit, she felt calmed down enough to function... still terribly aroused, but controlled enough. She sneaked around several houses to the woods and then stepped out. Tuffnut spotted her then. "Hey, where were you?" he asked. "We uh... might have a little bit of a problem at the academy that my sister and I may or may not have had a hand with... and we... need help," he admitted with much reluctance.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Oh, I was busy _shafting_ some _lumber._ You know, for winter preparations..." she grinned wickedly at her wording, noticing in amusement as Hiccup blushed deeply nearby.

Tuffnut shrugged. "Whatever," he said simply, and he and his sister led them to the academy.

Hiccup and Astrid walked a few paces separated, not wanting to risk getting overstimulated by proximity... which had been happening a lot recently with the increase in tension between them. When they finally got to the academy, they found it flooded. The two leaders of the dragon riders stared incredulously at the mess. Hiccup rounded on them, making them wince before he even began shouting. "What in Thor's name happened here?" he demanded. "Guys! You were supposed to be _collecting_ water... ah, well, I mean, I guess you kind of did, in a way..." his stern frowned cracked with a little smile. "Ack-" he shot Astrid a look when she jabbed him in the ribs. "Uh, anyway, you were supposed to collect water for the preparations. This isn't what the chief meant. How did you even manage this?"

Tuffnut waved his hand dismissively. "The methods in which this has come to pass are unimportant," he began theatrically. "Let's just say the well will be a little shallow for a bit..." he grinned mischievously.

Hiccup groaned in exasperation. "This is your mess, clean it up. And get that water to the storehouse!" he told them, then blinked in mild surprise when the two siblings fell to their knees before him, grasping at his legs.

"Oh please don't make us clean!" Tuffnut whined.

"Or collect!" Ruffnut added. "This is too much! We can't do it all on our own..?

"Please won't you help us?" Tuffnut whimpered like a puppy.

Hiccup scoffed in irritation and smacked his hand over his face, dragging it down. "Alright just stop... I'll help..." he sighed.

Astrid, who had been quietly watching with growing amusement, raised a brow at how easily he was trapped by them. "Uh, Hiccup?" she began carefully. "I _suggest_ , you not help them. They did it after all. You might want to _consider_ being more strict with them or they'd walk all over you, right?" she said, trying to push him to be more stern.

Hiccup raised a brow at her carefully constructed advice, rather than telling him not to help them outright... he appreciated that. He pretended to think about it, then decides she was right. "You know what? You're absolutely right, Astrid. It's their mess, they made it, they should clean it."

The twins glare at her. Astrid hiked her own brow up and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at them. "What? You have a problem with it?" she threatened. They cringed and shook their heads, shoulders slumping in defeat. Astrid nodded in approval.

Hiccup turned then. "Get on it you two. Anyway, we have to go take care of something more important than your messes," he said and began to head out. He paused when Astrid was staring at him in confusion. "Come on, Astrid, I need to show you something... follow me," he said, eyes twinkling as he repeated her words. Getting the idea, Astrid tried not to let her grin or her eagerness show as she followed, smirking at the woeful sounds from the twins behind them.

Hiccup led her behind houses this time and turned to her. "Will you let me repay you?" he asked carefully, tugging her to him. Astrid's eyes widened at his bold attitude and grinned again, nodding. Hiccup smiled and walked them over to a wall, pressing her gently against it. Astrid felt her excitement shoot through the roof, pulse loud enough to make her wonder if he could hear it, throat absolutely dry as he slid his hand down her belly and began to dip under her skirt. Astrid grasped at his belt around his waist, pulling him a little closer.

They were just about to kiss, when they heard their names called, yet again. They jumped apart just on time to see Mulch and Bucket walk over. "Hey you two!" Mulch smiled kindly, fortunately not having noticed anything out of the ordinary. "Have you seen Sven about? We were supposed to be helping him with his sheep."

Hiccup cleared his throat and straightened. "Yes, I saw Sven go into the Great Hall about an hour ago," he said as calmly as he could. The two nodded then, thanking him and left.

They sighed in relief. "Okay... where were we?" Hiccup grinned, sliding back over to her.

"Uh... maybe it's not such a good idea here..?" Astrid said worriedly, glancing about.

Hiccup smiled and pressed against her. "Where is your _your_ sense of adventure?" he countered, once again throwing her own words back at her.

Astrid squirmed a little, feeling his hand tickling his way under the waistband of her skirt. "Um... um... kissing behind houses is one thing... this-this is quite another," she protested nervously.

Hiccup's hand didn't stop, stroking with intent. "Do you want this or not..?" he asked carefully.

Astrid groaned in frustration. "Y-Yes, of course I do... but an alley had been more private, this... this..." he slid in between her legs then, rubbing her through her leggings in tight little circles, making her have trouble concentrating on her words. Astrid moaned softly, her legs spreading unconsciously, the hot pounding in her center shooting her protests out of her thoughts.

Hiccup sighed. "Just relax, babe," he smiled, seeing her giving in. He dipped his finger against her leggings, pressing into her bindings as well to reach her thrumming clit. Astrid stiffened, body arching against him, and he shivered at the guttural whine that escaped her, almost feeling the dampness from her arousal then. He pulled his fingers back, listening to her pant with anticipation, and started to reach under her binding...

When Sven popped right over. "Hey- um, what are you two doing?" he asked curiously.

Astrid, still too overcome with intoxicating desire, took a second to focus on her surroundings. When she saw the sheep-herder then, she squeaked. Hiccup's eyes widened impossibly, blood draining from his face. He slowly slipped his hand from under her skirt, and carefully turned around, trying to wipe away any and every emotion from his face. "I... was... helping her with a cramp..?"

Sven scratched his head. "A cramp? From what?" he asked curiously.

Hiccup felt himself relax a little. At least Sven clearly didn't seem to catch what had been happening. "From... from all the hard work done today, of course Sven, and I was trying to help her," he said, making himself sound like it was completely obvious he was doing that and only that.

Astrid nodded vigorously. "Yes! That's right! And he did a great job, thanks ba- ah, Hiccup..." she flushed deeply and spun around, tempted to bang her had against the wall. Fuck.

Sven scratched his head in thought again, but then shrugged and smiled. "That's right kind of you, lad. I get cramps too, I know how good it is to work them out before they become a problem," he beamed. "Anyway, I was just wondering if either of you've seen Mulch anywhere? He was supposed to be helping me... and teaching Bucket how to count, again... but I can't find them?"

Hiccup resisted groaning in frustration. "They went looking for you at the Great Hall," he explained.

Sven nodded. "Ah! I just missed them then! Thank you, kids!" he smiled and went on his merry way.

The two collapse against the wall with a sigh of relief. "Okay, that's it, I'm not about to risk getting caught, _again_ ," Astrid huffed, running her hand raggedly down her face. She was still unbelievably aroused, but that was _too_ close. "Rain check?" she asked with a little grin.

Hiccup thinned his lips and grunted in irritation, having wanted to pay her back right away. "Mmf, fine... I guess..." he muttered, annoyed by all the interruptions that month. Gods, couldn't they get just a few minutes to themselves? "I'm sorry, Astrid... this day hasn't gone well for us..." he said woefully, letting her take his cheeks and kiss his forehead.

Astrid shook her head. "It's okay, next time," she smiled patiently.

"I'd invite you over but..." Hiccup huffed.

"Overbearing fathers, I get it," she kissed his nose, making him smile. "Good night, Hiccup," she said softly.

"Goodnight, milady," he cooed, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

That night, Astrid was, of course, unable to sleep, pressing her pillow to her face in agitation. She had thought she could escape her needs today, but nope, not with all the interruptions that day. She shoved the pillow back behind her head and groaned into her hands over her face in exasperation. With a weary sigh of defeat, she ended up pleasuring herself again, once more thinking of him there instead, and now with the added torment of knowing he actually _could be_. They should have sneaked between houses like they had earlier. Thor damn it.

Hiccup Haddock will be the death of her.

If not him, then the damn village.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Cockblocked all over the place again lol, except maybe for Hiccup that one time. No worries, he'll make it up to her eventually! The Gustav part was in honor of those wanting a rivalry, you know who you are. It won't happen, but that's something at least, and about as much as you'll get, so there you go. Also, omg you guys, I'm probably more excited about the next part of Race To The Edge _ this month _than I should be! Yeah, Dreamworks is taking liberties with "Hiccstrid", but keep in mind they were the ones to set it all up in the first place, and even adopted that ship name, so I don't have any problem with them. They specifically said that there would be romance in the next coming parts, a greater closeness between them, so I think it'll be just fine. I wish I could finish this story before it becomes available, but that won't happen, this story will be quite a bit longer than "Thor Help Her"._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **choochoo420:** I'm glad you thought it was. I thought it was mediocre, but artists are never satisfied with their work, so whatevs lol. _

_**U R Amazing:** I know, right? What a "terrible" "cliffhanger" I'm so mean lol. Glad you liked it. _

_**Mia:** Thanks! I'm glad you thought it was!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Thank you! Yeah, I figured Hiccup is naturally shy and awkward, so this would just exacerbate it. He's not a sex god yet lol but he is a fast study!_

 _ **Chapter 6 review:** No, I don't believe so. I don't see that happening in my story, since again, it's supposed to be more or less parallel to RTTE and no one knows they're (obviously) into each other in the show (even if they seem to deny it themselves). It wouldn't fit, I think. If I write a different story, that goes completely AU, then yeah sure, that sounds like it'd be funny._

 _ **Haddockwarriorr:** That's sweet of you to say! Thank you!_

 _ **Angryhenry:** I'm happy you like it!_

 _ **B:** No way, far from it. This story will be much longer than the first one._

 _ **Poop:** If I had less material to write, they would be shorter chapters, but since I don't like splitting, or writing just one or two scenes (unless it's specifically smut lol), I tend to like to show more than one thing going on. If you don't like stories full of description, intrigue, action, and sexiness, no one is forcing you to read it._

 _ **Keepmystrength:** This story will be much longer than the first one :)_

 _ **UnbreakableWarrior:** Thank you! I'm glad you think so._

 _ **Wikelia:** Thank you! That's okay, I'm just glad people seem to be enjoying this!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Shiny and Warm" by Goldfrapp._

* * *

A little over a month had gone by since Astrid and Hiccup had been together that night.

In that time, they had not been able to be in each others arms for more than an hour or so, and they had usually been too tired to do more than talk, kiss, and occasionally touch a little. Everyone was working hard to prepare for that winter, which was now confirmed by Bucket's incessant painful cries that it would be a bad one. That being the case, the two usually ran themselves ragged trying to keep the gang together and working, and helping about Berk.

The stress and responsibilities placed on their equally accountable shoulders usually rendered them too tense and they sought solace in simple embraces, trying to escape. The only reason it had been as bad as it had was both because Stoick had been giving Hiccup further future leadership duties, and Astrid had been temporarily placed completely in charge of the other riders while Hiccup was too busy being the chief's right hand during winter preparations. It was a great honor to both of them, but exhausting and irritating at the same time as well.

Astrid was exasperated by the fact that they hadn't had practically any time to themselves, only about enough time for Hiccup to do good on his word and repay her for that time, but not much else. It frustrated her beyond her understanding. Astrid was actually quite a bit surprised by how much she wanted him again, most of it last time had been painful for her... but she knew she would get used to it, and she knew how unbelievable it would feel when she did.

Maybe she did understand though, it was a connection with him in a much deeper level. Take away the sexuality from it and a tightly knitted bond remained, tethering their hearts with each other, expressing their innermost feelings, even though neither of them had said them out loud quite yet. Sometimes actions spoke louder than words, was that not the saying? Astrid figured she was also just very eager to get past the awkward, painful stage and get to the good part, of course. It was as simple as that as well.

That day, like any other, they spent working just as hard as usual. They helped their community prepare, kept the twins in line, got the livestock reacquainted with the dragons, just in case, and spent the rest of the time trying desperately to ignore their loud, raging need to be together for more than ten minutes at a time.

Finally, when they were finished for that evening, they slunk away behind some houses as quickly as they could, just to get those blessed few minutes in each others arms. They held each other close, sighing in relief and trying to not protest about all their troubles. This was a time for them to escape it all, not dwell. But just as the thought of kissing even crossed their minds, they were torn away from each other again with some other problem. Astrid was only a little surprised by the barely contained frustration in Hiccup. She had begun to see the signs of his impatience again and knew he would pop sooner or later. Apparently, a month was his limit.

Just a few days later, they would have their chance to be together again.

After those few days, when their work was over that afternoon, after lunch, Hiccup tugged her aside to give her a bit of good news, some reprieve and hopefully a chance to be close again. "My dad is handling council business tonight, discussing the approaching winter and he said I didn't have to go. He must have noticed how ragged he's running everyone, including me..." he grinned.

Astrid's brow rose. "And..?" he probed both curiously and impatiently.

"Well, those meeting stretch well into the morning usually... lots of disputes, lots of planning, lots of boring long talks. A lot of the Vikings often crash right there in the Great Hall! So... I was thinking, it'd be the perfect chance to... ah, escape it all, let's say?" he smiled widely, hope evident in his eyes. "If you, you know, wanted to come over tonight... if you want..." he added.

Astrid stared blankly at him. "If _I want_?" she questioned with a disbelieving snort. "You're funny," she huffed, then walked up to him, all but yanking him down to her eye-level by his strap over his chest. "Yes I _want_ , silly boy. I want very much."

Hiccup flushed deeply at her enthusiasm. "Um, I only ask because the last time... it hurt you... _I_ hurt you..." he reminded her gently.

Astrid let him go and groaned in exasperation. "Hiccup... seriously, let that go," she sighed, poking his chest hard. "I'm made of tougher stuff than that, you know that. I can handle myself... and _you_. You're not weaseling out of it," she smirked.

Hiccup laughed at just the thought of not having her in his arms. "I wouldn't dream of it!" he promised. "So I'll see you tonight..?"

"Oh yes," she grinned with him.

They spent the remainder of the day dealing with supplies, building barricades, and dealing with ornery Vikings of all ages, all the while trying to keep their thoughts from straying to each other and the promise of that night together. It was difficult to keep their wits about them, but finally, finally the day had crawled to an end.

Hiccup paced in his loft, having begged Toothless to use the repaired automatic fin replacement he had made for him several Snoggletogs ago, just until the next day so he could get some time alone with his _mate_. Hiccup knew how much Toothless cherished the bond they had, how they relied on each other to fly, but he hoped he'd at least hear him out as a surrogate brother. Fortunately, Toothless was intelligent enough to understand and had begrudgingly warbled in affirmative and left to the stables. In any case, he and Stormfly were usually close enough that they sometimes shared a stall, so at least he'd be warm, maybe even went off with her in the morning for fish.

Meanwhile, Astrid sat through an entirely too long dinner with her parents, stressing over every second that passed. Of course, her parents were oblivious to the pain _in her soul_! It wasn't that bad of course, but it was still very irritating to have to be the dutiful, respectful daughter and dine peacefully with them, when all she wanted to do was spend the night panting, sweaty, and tangled with her boyfriend in his bed... was that too much to ask? Apparently so, because even the gods seemed to find her predicament amusing, seemingly stretching out time to an eternity... It wasn't actually so, but it certainly felt like it.

Eventually, dinner and clean up was finished and Astrid pretended not to be in a hurry to go to 'bed' to then sneak away later. She went to her room and prepared herself like she normally would, washing the grime of the day away and getting out of her armor. This time she let her braid down and laid down over her bed. Sleep was the last thing on her mind, but she closed her eyes anyway, her thoughts filled with Hiccup.

Tonight, time was against her, running impossibly slowly, but perhaps it was because she was so focused on it. After about an hour, Astrid had enough and got up, creeping to her parents room to check on them. As soon as she found them dead asleep again, she escaped her house and made her way as stealthily as she could to her boyfriend's house, just like before, almost quivering with anticipation.

She entered the house and skipped a few steps on her way up to his loft. Hiccup was waiting for her there, no armor on thankfully. As soon as she finished reaching the top, he took only two long strides from his legs to reach her. Neither of them knew who moved first, but they were kissing thirstily in an instant, drowning in their restless need for each other. This time there was no awkward tension between them, just the desperation to be together.

However, this time Astrid wanted to move things at a different pace than the last time, at least for now, until they were more comfortable with this. As soon as they pulled away from the dizzying kiss, Astrid grabbed Hiccup's shoulders and gently started pushing him back until they reached his bed. Hiccup was surprised by her eagerness, but let himself fall back, sprawled over the bed, his eyes wide with surprise and excitement.

Astrid carefully pulled herself up onto the bed and straddled him, pressing her hands on his chest to keep him still, both startling and arousing him at the same time. She took a moment to study him and smiled. She couldn't get over the fact that he was still wearing a green tunic, like he had since she'd known him, even though this was a fairly new version, having grown out of many since they were younger. Oh she loved the red shirt he'd eventually get, but right now he looked like he was in between how he looked at fifteen, still dressing similar, but then also physically developing into one fine hot mess. Astrid smiled reassuringly at his questioning look. "If you don't mind, this time I'd like to try something. I'm not quite as shy as you are, so this might be easier for us this way, at least at first."

Hiccup nodded slowly. "You can do whatever you want," he smiled happily.

Astrid laughed softly. "Okay," she said, sliding off his lap then. "Tunic. Off," she commanded with a playful grin.

Hiccup stared in surprise for a second at the direct command, but did as he was told, pulling his shirt clean off his body. He then proceeded to lose his mind as he sat and watched Astrid strip out of every piece of clothing she had on her, nearly drooling at the arousing display. Holy Freyja, she was a _temptress_. Astrid finished, noting his completely dazed, flushed, and utterly lustful gaze and felt herself blush a little at the gawking stare. Pleased that he was enjoying himself, she sauntered over to him then, no shame about her as she made her way to his side again. "Hiccup... may I?" she asked, kneeling next to his prosthetic.

Hiccup forced himself to focus and glanced down to his leg. "...Sure..." he agreed a little hesitantly, still a bit embarrassed by his missing leg, his inner insecurities not allowing him to accept the grievous injury as the medal of valor that it was. He watched as she very gently unstrapped it from his remaining leg and pulled it off. She set it aside and then continued to surprise him by taking his leg in her hands and leaning down to kiss his stump tenderly. His eyes softened with deep emotion at the reverent sight, his heart aching for her so much more intensely at the caring act.

Astrid smiled adoringly at him, caressing his missing limb a little, hoping to soothe him of his fear of rejection. As soon as she felt he was relaxed, she continued on her mission and leaned over him again. She grinned at his wide gaze again as she pulled his breaches open and took entirely too much pleasure pulling them right off him. At this point, Hiccup was putty in her hands, completely devoid of any rational thought or motor function, astounded by her take-charge attitude. As soon as his cover was swiftly removed Astrid crawled back onto his now completely bare lap, smiling at the little whimper that escaped him. "Relax," she said softly, caressing the angles of his face gently. "Hiccup? You're okay, right?"

Hiccup took a few seconds to respond but then visibly forced himself to relax and nod. "I'm good," he assured her with a weak grin.

Astrid smirked at his choice of words. "Yes, you _are_ ," she chuckled, making him blush and smile a little. She gently pushed him back to down against the bed and leaned down with him, kissing his belly where his abdominal muscles were just beginning to develop. She felt him quiver in pleasure and smiled, kissing and nipping her way up his slender body. While his muscles were developing, they weren't quite at the level he'd get in a year or so just yet, his belly still mostly flat. This, of course, didn't stop her from craving him like she craved living though.

Hiccup was still surprised by her, this only being the second time together... but he couldn't complain at all, figuring it was simply in her nature to be so confident with just about everything. Astrid in the meantime, simply couldn't get enough of him, trailing slow, loving kisses up to his neck, licking the masculine swell there, loving how helpless with pleasure it left him, limp and dazed beneath her touch.

She smiled then at the evidence of his pleasure, having been stimulated by her stripping and then her worship of his body. Taking a breath to calm herself, Astrid pushed away slightly and settled a little lower against his lap, until his erection pressed against her ass, making him gasp and shudder. Astrid bit her lip and angled herself a little better, lifting up so she could properly do this. Hiccup stared in astonishment as she lowered herself then, and watched in both arousal and concern as she cringed her way down. Unable to stop himself, Hiccup moaned in pleasure, even as worry flooded him over the clear signs that she wasn't having the best time. "A-Astrid..." he groaned in concern.

"Just... stay still... please," the shield-maiden gritted out, hissing as she forced herself to impale herself on him abruptly. Hiccup jerked beneath her and shouted in surprise and pleasure. Astrid held herself motionless for a moment, taking deep, calming breaths again, trying to remember that the last time she did this, she had ended up really enjoying it. It didn't stop her from feeling like she was being split in half though, feeling the impossible fullness and intensity... maybe more so this time. It didn't actually hurt anywhere near as much as the first time, but the invasive pressure was still a little much. Even so, she was a stubborn Viking and resolutely refused to let it get to her. And so she began to slide up and down him with obstinate purpose, trying not to whimper at the gnawingly deep feeling. Fortunately, Hiccup was much too shocked and frozen with arousal to be as rough as his counterpart had been.

Astrid began ride him hard, jutting into him each time, the erotic act of spearing herself onto him overriding her senses enough to make her sigh in relief, quickly adjusting to him, the overbearing pressure disappearing, leaving only the pleasant feeling of him filling her. Astrid let herself relax, sliding her hands over his chest and angling herself a little better, moaning softly at the pleasant change. Hiccup snapped out of his shock a while ago but was entranced by the beautiful goddess above him. Before long he couldn't help the groans and twitches she inspired in him and had to do something, couldn't remain still too much longer as she had asked. Hoping it wouldn't hurt her, he began thrusting up into her in time with her own eager movements, swelling rigidly at the sight of her breasts swaying with each of her gyrations above him.

As soon as she felt him begin to meet her hips with his, an intense pressure of an entirely different kind began to build. The continually tightening heat it caused left Astrid panting and moaning, the rush of boiling pleasure making it difficult to focus on anything else. Her heart beat like tribal drums in her ears, pounding blood and heated desire through her, making it course hotly through her veins and pool between her legs. Hiccup's thrusts became a little harder, moaning and shaking beneath her as he lost himself, gripping his bed to work his shaft straight into her. Astrid gasped each time his pelvis scrapes against her clit and soon she found herself grinding herself into him, whining and crying in carnal rapture.

And then the torrid, choking pressure became too much to handle, burned too hot to contain, and her body abruptly collapses in on itself. The surge of ecstasy from the repeated attacks on her sex was too much to hold back and Astrid arched back then, nearly craning backwards, breasts thrusting up as her first proper orgasm with Hiccup deep inside her overtook her viciously. She cried his name through clenched teeth, trying desperately to remain silent, gasping out moans of ecstasy, grinding into him senselessly, lust so great she forgot where she was for a second.

The ferocity of her orgasm undid Hiccup, forcing his own maddening climax to claw greedily into him until he was roaring beneath her, gripping her hips tightly, fingers digging into her almost painfully, keeping her locked against him. Astrid moaned helplessly above him, her walls clenching him hard, shuddering at the feeling of him releasing thick and hotly inside her. Astrid's lips parted, eyes closed as she rode their mutual orgasm to the end, spasming and shivering above him, hands rubbing his that still rested on her hips. Gods, she was so glad she got her hands on that tea, and that she took some today because the feeling was _amazing_. _Freyja_ , this time was _so_ much better than last time... she might just become addicted to this.

Hiccup finally came back to his senses, eyes eagerly taking in the sight of the woman above him, so lost in her pleasure she barely noticed him. Seeing her lose it above him had spurred the curious tinkerer inside him. He hadn't had time last time, but this time, he wanted to map her and discover every ounce of secrets her body held. After they were both calmed down, he surprised her this time by pulling her underneath him. Astrid rested against the bed, staring at him in a daze, much like he had at the beginning of that evening. "Astrid... will you let me... get to know your body better? I'm an inventor, I like to know how things tick. I didn't much get a chance before... is that okay..?"

Astrid gaped in shock for a second. "Take your time," she breathed, wondering if he was a gift from the gods. It could answer why Freyja had been so dead set of getting her to fuck him. She inwardly laughed weakly in amusement, though she honestly wouldn't put it past the gods.

Hiccup grinned. "Thank you," he murmured and set off to his exploration, first taking in the sight of her glorious body greedily.

Astrid held herself as still as she could, feeling his hands begin to very gently, very carefully, and very slowly slide over every inch, every dip, and every curve of her body. As she laid there, her body began to tingle and thrum with eager anticipation of his exploration. As was his way, he was precise and methodical, not one action wasted. The more he explored, the more she hummed in pleasure.

Hiccup, hands very quickly found her sex then. He heard her gasp and glanced up, seeing her biting her lip. He smiled knowingly and began to probe her, searching her thoroughly, testing her slowly, this time not rushed by his own need, seeing what made her react the strongest. Astrid found herself panting, eyes glazing over with every stroke, every press, and every rub. It was beginning to unravel her again and he hadn't even- he found her clit then and swiftly began rubbing and squeezing, pleasuring her until she urgently cried his name. " _H-Hicc-uuh-p..!_ " she screeched, feeling her walls quickly lock up on her.

Hiccup shuddered above her but didn't stop, only slowed down so his incessant rubbing didn't hurt her. "I wonder how many time I can make you orgasm..." he mumbled to himself thoughtfully, then blushed when he realized he had said that out loud. Astrid gaped in shock again, a thrill of shivers running through her. Thor help her, he was going to kill her! Hiccup recovered from his embarrassment very quickly and smirked, leaning down to kiss gently over her neck, biting gently and sucking down on it, noting the little moans it caused.

Interested in knowing how the rest of her body would react, he began to kiss his way down her body, a little like she had to him earlier. He explored her body with his mouth, discovering that he loved her taste and how her body trembled and heated up against his mouth. He lingered on her breasts for a moment, having fantasized about this probably too much to be healthy. He kissed his way to her peak, noting how restless Astrid was becoming. Curious, he let his tongue drag over her nipple, watching her arch back sightly, pushing her breast into his mouth. He smiled against her, loving how she panted and moaned softly, shaking as she gripped his hair and shoulder with every swipe of his tongue over her. He sucked on her nipple lightly, moaning when she bucked into him, crying in pleasure.

Wanting to see how other parts of her reacted, Hiccup continued on, noting the whimper of protest when he left her breasts. He discovered the closer he got to her center, the wilder she became, panting and shaking, grasping at the bed beneath her, whimpering and biting her lip. Overcome with curiosity, he paused and looked up at her. "Can I... try something..?" he began. "It's uh... it was something I heard a few men talking about once... I'm not sure if they were actually being truthful but, would you let me try..?" he asked carefully.

Astrid stared incredulously, having an idea of what he wanted to try. "Y-You can... try a-anything..." she said breathlessly, trying to stay calm, throat almost hurting from how utterly barren it was.

Hiccup nodded. "Let me know if you don't like something..." he said and continued on his way, dipping his tongue in her bellybutton on his way down, making her gasp in surprise. He let his tongue slide over her belly, eyes closing, loving how she quivered and mewled, feeling himself get harder by the second from all the pleasing reactions to him. He went on his way again, kissing below her bellybutton, reaching her soft curls. He needed more, he needed to know more, needed to discover more, needed to get her taste and scent out of his system, driving him crazy.

Astrid felt him gently spread her legs and she had to swallow her needy moan, not able to believe he was wanting to try this so soon, holding back a whimper when she remembered how agonizing it had been before. She bit her lip, spreading her legs a little wider for him to encourage his exploration, shaking and panting with anticipation. Oh gods, this again... it nearly made her lose her mind last time.

Oblivious to her inner angst, Hiccup kissed along her thighs slowly, noting how her breathing hitched, how her legs trembled continually now. Whatever he was doing, she liked _a lot_ , and that was good enough for him. Moving forward, he probed her with his fingers a little, getting a good look at her. Astrid couldn't stop the incessant whimpering now, the memory of how intense this was rushing through her, making her throb hot and hard.

Hiccup glanced up then and saw the pleading look in her eyes, how she chewed on her lip, eyes intense, how she squirmed beneath him, the pleasing little sounds she made. It was abundantly clear to him that she wanted him to continue. Taking it as a green light, he moved back to his exploration and allowed his curiosity take over, having an overwhelming urge to taste her. He parted her folds with his thumbs, letting her constant whimpers guide him, keeping them open for him to swipe his tongue experimentally over her, groaning at how aroused she was as his tongue presses into her, glad his seed was still firmly inside her, making his male pride swell a little at the thought.

Astrid felt his tongue and the groan against her aching sex and shrieked almost despondently in pleasure, jerking beneath him violently, limps flailing as she struggled to hold onto the bed, panting and shuddering as she was quickly brought to the edge of climax. Hiccup had to hold her legs apart so she didn't choke him. Glancing up with worry and a deep blush. "Did... did you like that..?" he asked, feeling a bit of uncertainty creep into him at the intensity of her cry. Did it hurt her?

Astrid twisted beneath him, panting harshly, desperation for relief making her nearly go blind. " _Ohhh_..." she moaned, struggling to keep herself down against the bed. " _Hiccup.._! Hi-Hiccup..! _Please_ _d-don't stop_..!" she begged, gulping down shuddering breaths, heart in her throat, body shaking so much it nearly hurt.

Hiccup blushed deeply at her violent reaction but was assured by the desperation in her voice that she _really_ liked that. He smiled triumphantly, feeling proud of himself he could cause so much pleasure in her and felt almost magnetically drawn to her again, very eager to bring her as much of it as he could. He settled more comfortably then, eyes closing as he let himself feel his way over her, letting her cries, whimpers, and begging be his guide again, becoming quickly addicted to the erotic power he held over her with this. He began to explore deeper, seeing what caused her to scream the most. His eager tongue found the little nub again, smiling in pleasure when she squealed loudly under her hands that held tightly over her mouth again, holding her down as she convulsed with another intense orgasm.

Astrid sobbed and whined, almost unable to take it. " _Hicc..! Nnnaah..!_ " she cried in agonizing pleasure, twisting wildly beneath him. Hiccup's eyes rolled with desire, now very hard. He wondered then what would happen if he sucked it, figuring she liked her neck and breast sucked, she might like that too. He experimentally latches his lips over her clit and began drawing it between his lips, suckling and lapping at it. Once again he had to force her hips back down as she kicked and shrieked.

Astrid covered her face with her hands and howled in a way so long and lustful it nearly made Hiccup cum then and there. Astrid was overcome with tormenting pleasure, orgasming hard and vengefully, struggling to keep silent as she gushed arousal and pleasure all over her drenched thighs, completely blown away that he would be so incredibly methodical and persistent already. She had forgotten how unimaginably pleasurable this was. He sucked hard again and she found herself yowling again, whining and crying as her walls spasmed closed, making her lose count of how many time he forced her to climax so far.

Hiccup licked over her sex as she fell apart again, amazed by how much he enjoyed her sweet taste, eagerly lapping at her quivering body. When he finally pulled away then, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he realized he pulled away from her too soon and watched her urgently push her fingers into herself, her legs shaking with the effects of her orgasm to try to feel it to the fullest.

Taking note of that, Hiccup brushed her hand away, ignoring the extremely enticing whimper from her as she let him have his way. He positioned himself over her again, trying to not think too much about how forceful he was being, figuring if she didn't like it she would tell him, and easily sunk right back into her. The feeling of him squeezing back in while she was in the middle of an orgasm compounded her climax, forcing her to finish all over again, crushing around his length blessedly and sobbing loud and hard for him, her nails scraping over his shoulders, hiding her face against his shoulder so she would stay as quiet as she could.

Hiccup moaned in ecstasy, feeling her body crush around his engorged length but had to kiss her so she wouldn't wake all of Berk. His tongue thrust into her mouth repeatedly, nearly mirroring his cock inside her body, sliding it in and out. The erotic feeling made her moan inconsolably into the kiss, shaking beneath him, grasping him tightly. He became consumed with desire then, thrusting harder into her, deep and hungry. Part of him wondered if he was hurting her, but the reactions she was giving him, dragging her nails across his back again, arching up against him, and moaning throatily into the kiss, encouraged him. Hiccup drove harder and with more enthusiasm, gasping as he swelled thickly inside her.

When they pulled from the kiss, Astrid had to hide her face in his neck then, wailing as his rapid pumping forced her to near her end all over again. And then Hiccup couldn't hold it and whined, crying her name into her ear. Astrid gasped, crushing him hard against her with her legs around his hips, pushing her body up to meet his plunging hips, panting from the intensity, eyes rolling in ecstasy at the feel of him burning hot and releasing himself deep inside her again. The intoxicating feeling forced her over the edge then, making her to quiver and orgasm, her walls trapping his length deep inside her, grinding into him to extend her own pleasure.

Hiccup finally stopped then, after a mindless moment, and stilled above her. Sweat-slicked bodies collapsed atop each other, panting hard from the effort. As she had noticed before, Hiccup was heavier than he looked, but she thrived at the feeling of his solid body pressing against her. Astrid felt completely relieved that she was able to reach her end with him again, sighing deeply and stroking his scalp tenderly.

When they finally relaxed, Astrid kissed his head. "I look forward to doing this with you more often," she smiled.

Hiccup fell next to her on his back and mirrored her relieved sigh. " _Gods yes,_ " he groaned in agreement. Astrid grinned and nestled right up into him, smiling when he kissed her hair and wrapped his arms around her. Of course, it _had_ been over a month, so the peace could only last for so long before the tension began to build again. A little bit later, she felt him brushing against her and raised her brow at him. Hiccup flushed and smiled a little shyly. "Since, you know, I have no control and all..." he trailed off playfully. "Can we..? Again..?" he asked with hope in his tone.

Astrid smiled, rolled her eyes, sat up, gripping his head in her hands gently and made him look at her. "Hiccup, I'm only going to say this again one last time and next time _I'll hit you_ , understand? If you want me..." she blushed. "If you want me, you have me. When we're in bed like this, you don't need to ask. You'll know if I don't want anymore, okay?"

Hiccup flushed deeply but grinned. "I'll make note of that," he agreed and then promptly rolled over her again and slid right back in. Astrid gasped at how quick and confident he took her, shuddering in pleasure, eyes rolling at the assertive mannerism. He began thrusting at a steady and hungry pace then and she completely lost her breath, moaning and pushing up into his pumping hips with renewed vigor.

Just as before they relished in each other, losing themselves and crying for each other. Before long he began to swell again. "T-Touch me..." she begged him. Hiccup knew what she needed and reached between their bodies, then took one of her breasts in his other hand. He leaned down and bit on her neck gently, groaning softly, pinching her nipple while rubbing her clit as he thrust hard. He smiled in relief then when she sobbed incessantly in his ear, letting him know she reached her climax.

Hiccup moaned in pleasure, feeling her clench down tight around his throbbing length and went off shortly after, thrusting hard into her, shouting and crying her name. Astrid grabbed his cheeks and kissed him, silencing him. Soon he slowed down again and rested his body against her. The kiss slowed as well, and they hugged each other closely, reveling in their arms, in their intimacy, in their close bond. They rested like that for a bit and talked, kissing a little. This time, when he began to press against her again, he didn't hesitate and she pulled him right back to her arms, taking him into her again.

Their night was long and wonderful, filled with many intense and spectacular moments of love and discovery. Astrid quickly discovered that if she licked a certain spot behind his ear, nibbling on his earlobe, he shuddered hard and stiffened quickly. She also discovered that he was pretty much insatiable, though it wasn't too surprising. Hiccup discovered during one of their bouts that his own moans could get her aroused, which interested him a lot. Astrid denied it and so he tested it, moaning long and lustfully into her ear until she begged him to stop or to do something more constructive. He felt her shuddering and panting and knew it had worked.

Each time they made love, the awkwardness erased more and more and Hiccup got plenty of practice controlling himself.

It was well into the night, during the very early hours of morning when they decide it would probably be wise to stop. Astrid knew she couldn't risk staying with him the whole night, knowing they could get caught by his father. She sat with him against the headboard of his bed, wrapped up in his arms, legs tangled, resting after one of the dozens of times they gave themselves to each other and let his warmth surround her. Overwhelmed by her deep feelings of him, she couldn't help sighing and whispering her undying devotion to him against his chest.

"What was that..?" Hiccup asked a little drowsily.

Astrid flushed hard, not having actually meant to say it out loud, but felt she couldn't hold it back for much longer anyway. "I... I um... I said... I..." she chewed her lip.

Hiccup shifted a little and rested his head on hers. "What is it..?" he murmured in concern.

Astrid swallowed the nervous whimper. "I said I... I love you, Hiccup..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, unable to look at him, too nervous over his reaction. Was it too soon?

But he heard.

Hiccup remained perfectly still, eyes so wide they brought tears to them... or were those the rush of years of repressed feelings he ever felt for her threatening to swallow him whole? "Y-Y... You... d-do..?" he asked, gasping for breath, trembling slightly. Astrid crumbled then, alarmed by his shell-shocked reaction. She pulled from the embrace slightly to study him. "A-Astrid..? Say it again?" he asked in a deeply pleading tone, eyes shining with what looked like unshed tears.

Astrid frowned in deep confusion but did as he asked her. "I love you, Hiccup," she admitted, feeling a little more confident now, not seeing rejection but wonder and amazement in his eyes. Feeling herself relax a little, she smiled softly. "And um... not just because you can... drive me wild with uh, pleasure..." she murmured with a weak smile and a deep blush.

Hiccup flushed right back, just as deeply. To her surprise, he cupped her cheeks then and pulled her into a hard, desperate kiss, his arms pulling her closer to him. When they finally drew away to gasp for breath, Hiccup barked out a laugh, head tilted back slightly. Astrid's eyes widened, seeing the tears on his face then. "H-Hiccup?" she breathed.

"Oh Odin!" He cried, then turned his attention back to her. "A-Astrid... I've... I've been waiting my entire life to hear you say that," he admitted. "Y-You sure seem to make me wait for-for a lot for things..." he said, tears falling steadily down his cheeks.

Astrid's gaped in alarm and surprise, seeing his tears, quickly setting her in motion. She sat up and very gently brushed them away with her thumbs. "Hey, no, please don't cry, Hiccup? Please calm down. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before... I just... I wasn't sure if you felt the same y-" she bit her lip to stop herself from saying 'yet', sighing in relief when he didn't seem to catch the slip.

Hiccup laughed again and took her hands in his, kissing her palms. "Astrid, I've been in love with you for so long I lost _track_ of how long," he admitted in a strikingly calm voice. "I had hoped for so long that you returned my feelings. Then when you told me you wanted to be with me, I almost passed out from relief and hope! These... there are tears of joy, of relief, not of sadness," he cooed.

Astrid flushes deeply and whimpered at the wonderful sentiments, her soul resounding deeply with his, wanting to tell him the full extent of her feelings for him, how she had kept them at bay from him for so long... but she knew it wasn't time yet. She would, soon, but not yet.

Hiccup pulled her back into his embrace, holding her close. "Gods, now I really don't want you to leave..." he said dolefully.

Astrid fell into his arms and let her eyes shut for a moment, letting the relief and deep, aching love _he returned_ wash over her. "I don't either..." she sighed shakily, trying not to let her feelings consume her. "I have to go though, you know that..."

"No..." Hiccup groaned childishly, holding her tighter.

Astrid smiled weakly and kissed over his heart gently. "I don't think your dad will appreciate finding us naked in bed together..."

"He'll get over it," he growled.

Astrid rolled her eyes at his uncharacteristic carelessness. "You know he'll probably have us married off in an instant and parade us around town, probably boasting and embarrassing us... oh and my dad will probably kill you, or strip you of your manhood, whichever comes first... you know fatherly stuff," she said dryly. Hiccup blushed and grumbled in response, knowing even before her attempts to persuade her that it was wise to separate before dawn. It was just hard to let go when he finally got his hearts deepest desire.

Astrid grinned at his continued reluctance and kissed him softly, feeling him relax into it. "There's always next time..." she whispered against him, feeling him grin and brush against her once again. "Hiccup, really..?" she asked in disbelief, did his desire not have an end? She was totally up for as much intimacy as she could take, but a girl needed her sleep, too!

"Sorry milady," he chuckled unapologetically.

Astrid sighed in exasperation. "Sorry babe, but I won't be able to again for a few days I think," she warned him, ignoring his whine of protest. "This is going to hurt tomorrow..." she told him with a halfhearted grumble of her own.

Hiccup flinched a little and flushed. "I'm sorry..." he muttered a bit more like himself then. But then he seemed to puff and grin, as though realizing then that he had thoroughly sexed his girlfriend up. Astrid rolled her eyes fondly at the male pride in his eyes. After a few more minutes of slow and meaningful kissing, letting all their deepest feelings and desires pour into each other, Astrid very reluctantly pulled away from his warmth, from the heady, continuous pleasure, and got dressed, feeling his eyes fixed on her as she moved about. She refused to look at him as she pulled her clothes on, refused to let him lure her back into his warm bed with him.

Once she was finished, she leaned over him and kissed him one last time before slinking away, trying not to notice the deep longing in his eyes.

Astrid very quietly made her way back to her parents house, glad it was still dark out, though having no idea how many countless hours they spent basking in pleasure. Forcing the thought from her mind, lest she find herself going back to him, Astrid resolutely cleared her thoughts and crept into her house. She crawled back into her room then and laid carefully over her cold bed, wincing slightly with the motion. Yep, that was going to hurt in the morning, but the memories circling in her head would certainly ease it.

As she laid there, she felt satisfied in both body and heart. They finally told each other how they felt, and it felt amazing to let it out. With a weary sigh, she let herself relax, but already missed him terribly again. Even so, the nights events wore her to the bone, letting her slip into deep, restful sleep, dreaming of being in his arms.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** D'aww, they told each other how they felt! In case anyone thought it was too soon, keep in mind it's been over half a year... I think that's enough time lol. Also, I told you the smut would get better... and this is the tip of the iceberg! This one was a bit long because it is supposed to signify the deeper bond between them. Also, this is one of those mostly smut chapters, there will be a few of them, but a lot of "plot" in between too! The next chapter is when it really starts to get good lol. I hope you came here for the smut though because there will be a lot of it lol... don't worry, this story does have a point! I plan it all out ahead of time._

 _The only reason I updated this story so quickly is because I wanted to get past all the awkwardness lol. That and I finished it early and I'm too damn impatient to wait lol._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Poop:** I see, thanks then! Sorry, I was just a bit surprised. I'm glad you enjoy my writing!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Yeah, tense moments are awesome. Oh but it was fun the first time, wasn't it? Things will be different... but not too different, ehem different enough though, get it? Lol._

 _ **Gamer Spice:** Yep! He snapped lol._

 _ **Mia:** I very much appreciate that you thought so! To me, not even this chapter was hot though lol, now the next one? Phew, that one's a doozy... yes I have an outline of it already... Let's just say the _ outline _makes me squirm lol. I haven't read any of those comics, though they sound interesting. I'm super excited for the next part! They promised they'd get closer and they're tying how they are in the second movie, so I think it'll be great. And if not, oh well, we can just say it's AU and I'll write a whole epic epilogue to tie it all together nicely... sound fair? Lol._

 _ **wikelia:** Thanks! Yeah but he gets what he wants in the end so it's all good lol._

 _ **UnbreakableWarrior:** Thank you! Happy you liked it._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Feelin' Love" by Paula Cole._

* * *

Six weeks later, a horrible winter storm finally started to show its ugly face.

It had been a little over a month since Astrid and Hiccup finally got past their awkward stage and entered a more relaxed growth in their relationship. Since then they began to try to work in a routine where they would have a bit of time together, if only for little things like embraces and kissing. A _lot_ of kissing, that often times led to other things. Sometimes though, they found ways to be together more closely again. Hiccup still hesitated a little initiating, but once they were lost in the moment, with Astrid's encouragement, he was able to surprise and please her greatly.

Once getting over the foreign idea of it, Astrid had returned the favor from when Hiccup had explored her. That was certainly a night to remember. Astrid had taken advantage that he was still dumbstruck and dazed when she stripped in front of him. This time, when he simply lay sprawled over his bed, she had slid down his lap, shocking him to the point he had choked on his own moans, though that didn't last long. That night they had very nearly blown their cover once or twice with his hopeless cries of pleasure.

Since Astrid discovered she very much liked the feeling of rendering him helpless to ecstasy, not to mention enjoyed the eroticism of the act itself, much like he did with her, they often competed over who could make the other unravel the hardest and fastest better. Neither of them really did much to actually win though, simply enjoying the competition itself for what it was, a chance to completely blow the mind away of the other. But after much sneaking around and a few more intense moments together in odd places around Berk, which was _very_ dangerous but extremely exciting at the same time, the weather finally put a stop to their recklessness.

The wind howled angrily, bringing over black clouds above their town. As Bucket writhed in pain over his handcart that Mulch lugged him into the Great Hall on, Stoick turned to the gathered riders. "I want you lot out there before that storm reaches Berk. Gather the animals and secure the barn like we discussed. Go on, move!" he ordered them.

"You heard the man, guys! Move out!" Hiccup called and they all climbed aboard their dragons and took off.

They flew at rapid pace, dragons wide-eyed and desperately trying to make sure not one animal was missed. They were tasked to move the livestock into the barn, those that had to remain outside as long as possible for their stalls to be stocked with enough food for the winter. The yaks and sheep scattered on seeing huge shapes above them. "Hey little sheepies! Don't run! We're just Vikings riding on top of huge, fire-breathing beasts!" Tuffnut chuckled, watching the animals almost squeak as they ran out of the way.

"Not helping, Tuff," Hiccup sighed, trying to coax the beasts to not be afraid of their dragons again.

"It's not like they can understand me," the male twin snorted. "Besides, I'm using a calming tone, am I not?"

"He does have a point there," Astrid chimed in. "Scarily enough..."

"Yeah!" Ruffnut agreed. "It's not like we're catching them to eat or anything... or are we?" she grinned.

"Long winters and all, we just _may have to..._ I mean, it's better than killing and eating each other, right? ...Or is it..?" Tuffnut questioned playfully and shared a smirk with his sister.

Hiccup rubbed his head in irritation. "Let's just get the animals away from the deadly storm speeding this way, quickly, please..." he firmly suggested. They landed and directed their dragons to be gentle and calm around the livestock. Hiccup had all but ordered Snotlout to be silent as Astrid coaxed Hookfang into going along with it. Fortunately, Hookfang had developed a soft spot for Astrid after they had bonded when she and Snotlout swapped dragons a few years ago, and listened to her. Soon enough, they all managed to wrangle the animals into the barn. "Let's make one last sweep," Hiccup suggested and led them back out into the fields.

"Uh... Hiccup? I'm not sure this is such a good idea? M-Maybe we should head back?" Fishlegs stammered after a rush of wind and snow hit them. "I think the storm is on top of us now!" he shouted over the sheets of ice falling from the sky.

"You're right! Let's head back to the Great Hall, gang!" Hiccup yelled back. Toothless roared in panic as a gust of wind flushed in thick white snow. "Bud! Calm down!" Hiccup gasped, nearly being thrown off the spooked Night Fury.

"It's a white-out!" Astrid called, trying to keep Stormfly steady. "It's okay girl," she scratched her cheek soothingly.

"We need to find shelter and wait this out! Come on, the academy is nearby!" Hiccup suggested.

"What are you suggesting we do there? Practice a bit out in the open while the storm _kills us_?" Snotlout shouted back in panic.

Hiccup groaned in irritation. "Just go!" he snapped back. They flew as quick and as best as they could to the academy. They forced their way through the wind and snow in their eyes, biting their skin, and barring their way as they made for the largest cell. "Board up the holes!" Hiccup said and helped his friends grab spare lumber and planks they stored there to seal up the large doors. Soon enough they managed to stop the snow from getting in and pushed the bit that did to a corner. "Good job, guys," he tallest of them sighed in relief.

They gathered remaining wood and piled it in the center. Fortunately there was only stone below their feet so they didn't have to worry about the fire spreading. Snotlout, as calmly as they had ever heard him, asked Hookfang to light the fire in the center of the room. Even Hookfang tilted his head questioningly, but did the dragon equivalent of a shrug and spat fire on the pile. Snotlout turned and made a face at the amazed look on the faces of his friends. "What? What're you lot staring at, hun?" he asked threateningly, scowling at their gaping faces. "I'm just tired, okay?" he had snorted.

"Tired? I thought you always said you were never tired, that 'rest is for the weak'?" Astrid teased.

"...Shut up, Astrid..." Snotlout mumbled indignantly, crossing his arms and huffing.

The fire soared up, licking the stone ceiling every now and then. The antechamber they were in was not originally designed for interior fires like that, but there was enough ventilation there for the smoke to escape as well, thanks to the large doors, so they didn't have to worry about suffocating. The wind picked up speed though, howling through the holes not quite covered up by their attempts to barricade. The dragons all went over to the huge doors and sat there, by them. Luckily, they were large enough to keep most of the wind away without even having to spread their wings. Soon enough, the boring act of just sitting there, lulled them to sleep, surprisingly piling atop each other like a gaggle of puppies. Their riders blinked in surprise at the bond their dragons seemed to share, though they _were_ a pack and often spent a lot of time together so it wasn't too unexpected.

The group searched the crates for supplies. They only needed enough food and water to make it through this particular storm. Fishlegs suggested gathering the snow that had made its way inside before and boiling it. They found a crate full of tarps they used for training dummies and used it as bedding. There wasn't much food except for a few scraps of salted boar, but that would do for dinner. The riders then chose a comfortable spot against the stone walls to lean against, the stone being warmed pleasantly by the roaring fire in the center. As they settled, they relaxed and talked quietly about the rapid approach of the storm, much like it had been two years ago. "Well, they do say history repeats itself, right?" Fishlegs offered. Astrid stared at him thoughtfully, wondering if that was true about _her own_ 'history', hoping it meant what she wished it did.

They were silent for a bit. The fire in the center of the chamber kept them all warm enough, but the occasional wind that slipped past the dragons made them shiver every now and then. Snotlout turned toward Astrid and smirked. "Hey, Astrid..." he began with an impish grin.

Astrid turned to look at him with a raised brow. "...Yeah..?" she questioned warily, hearing the sorry excuse for an inviting tone in his voice.

Snotlout grinned and pat his lap. "Want to share body heat? It's the best way to stay warm in cold weather, after all..." he suggested with a bob of his eyebrows.

Astrid scoffed and scowled at him. "I'd rather sit on _Hiccup's_ lap than go anywhere near _you_ , Snotlout," she spat back very truthfully, knowing he would think she was being sarcastic.

Where he sat on the opposite side of the room, Hiccup flushed deeply at her words, but remained as silent and still as he could, trying not to think of other things she had pretty recently done on his lap the past month. Many times. And in different angles. Gods, he was lucky to have her. Since that second time together, he found himself nearly insatiable and he was very happy she seemed just as willing as he was to _engage_ in activities. Unlike the previous month, the past month and a half had been... unbelievable, with many breakthroughs in their _exploration_ of each other. _Gods bless that tea_. Astrid had made him memorize how to prepare it, not that he minded, if it meant she could be in his arms as often as possible.

As predicted, Snotlout laughed in disbelief. "Yeah right!" he snorted.

Astrid had to hide the triumphant little smirk at the unintentional in he gave her. "Oh? You don't believe me? Alright, fine, I'll take that as a challenge!"

"Ha-uh, what?" Snotlout sputtered in surprise.

Astrid simply smiled and got up, walking over to Hiccup across the room. She saw him shift subtly, getting comfortable, arms slightly further apart to accommodate her and then she slid herself promptly over his lap, sitting sideways, both legs tossed to one side of him. "W-What are y-you doing?!" Hiccup pretended to freak out, even if the way she pressed into him almost instantly aroused him enough to let him act pretty convincingly for a change.

Astrid's brow rose when she felt him shudder beneath her and cleared her throat to hide her own reaction to him. "Just shut up, I'm proving a point," she said in fake irritation, pretending to punch his arm.

"Ack!" Hiccup gasped in completely false pain. "Okay, okay..." he muttered and did as he was told.

Snotlout's face broke into a crestfallen look before he snorted in irritation and crossed his arms again, properly subdued. Fishlegs had a confused look on his face but didn't find the lengths Astrid went to get back at Snotlout too surprising and shrugged.

The twins share a knowing look. Ruffnut leaned a little closer to her brother. "I think there may be _love on the battlefield_ after all, brother," she whispered with amusement dripping from her voice.

Tuffnut nodded and giggled. "I concur, sister," he grinned.

Ruffnut glanced at the gloomy look in Snotlout's face. "I'm so looking forward to seeing Snotlout suffer," she snickered.

Tuffnut nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree, sis, but let's just wait and watch for now..." he suggested.

"Agreed," Ruffnut nodded sagely.

Meanwhile, Astrid purposefully squirmed in his lap, knowing it would drive him crazy, grinning internally at how easy it was to set him off. "Hmm... you sure are _bony_ , babe. You're jabbing into me good..." she whispered teasingly at him, biting her lip in amusement, feeling said ' _bone'_ press a little against her thigh.

Hiccup grunted in response, getting the innuendo, and playfully scowled back at her. "Then why don't you _get off_ , milady," he countered with his own, shooting her a knowing look.

Astrid grinned at his double meaning. He was certainly getting better at dirty jokes lately. "I'm warm here," she shrugged, leaning against him. She could almost feel him use force to stop from groaning and reaching for her. Hiccup knew he couldn't touch her in front of their friends, so he had to keep his hands to himself. Astrid smirked a little evilly and shifted again, this time nice and slow, rubbing herself right into his bulge, hear his breath catch and try to hold back a whimper, but unable to stop the soft panting.

Astrid tried not to react either, feeling him hardening rapidly against her. She glanced at him in amusement, seeing the almost pained, pleading look on his face. She shivered a little, remembering the last time she saw that look on him, right before she slid down his body. Astrid couldn't get over how wrapped around her finger he was. She absolutely loved flustering him, especially now that he knew how to fluster her too and took delight in pleasurably tormenting her right back. Over the course of the time since they started dating, and being intimate, things were really starting to heat up between them, even if she was still mostly the one taking charge.

When she shifted again, grinding subtly against him, one of his hands shot out to keep her still. "Astrid, _please_..." he whispered in a panic, swollen rigid with need and unable to do anything about it. At least his impressive boner was hidden from view with her on his lap, though that brought little comfort to Hiccup who still struggled to appear unaffected by her.

Astrid bit her lip, trying to hide her own flush and nodded, taking pity on him and remaining still, resting against him. Clearing her throat to calm down, Astrid turned her head back then to glance at Snotlout. "You were right, Snotlout, this _is_ pretty warm," she grinned, letting her head lean against Hiccup's shoulder then, smirking over at his crestfallen face as she turned back to settle against him. What amused her the most about this was that just a few years ago, she couldn't even sit next to Hiccup without having the inescapable need to scoot away from him in embarrassment... now she was practically giving him a lap dance! Hiccup wasn't quite as amused, his head hitting the wall behind him, breathing hard with the effort to not hold her. To him this was an absolute _torture_.

Snotlout scoffed in agitation. "Alright, alright, you proved your point... you can get off him now," he muttered.

Astrid shrugged without turning back to look at him. "Nah, I'm comfortable and warm now, I think I'll just stay. Got a problem with that, Haddock?" she questioned, letting a little bit of threat filter into her tone to throw the others off.

Hiccup's voice was strained when he answered. "As long as you don't hit me again..." he answered. "You're not hurting me so whatever, I guess..." he said, trying to sound as uninterested as he could, and trying to hide the amusement at the frustrated scoff from his cousin. The twins sat back quietly, watching with great interest and amusement, this was more entertaining than they thought it'd be. After a bit of sitting there and talking quietly with each other, they started to doze off and Hiccup finally calmed down from the impromptu lap dance he was given.

Well into the night, Hiccup woke up when he felt her shift in his lap in her sleep again, nearly instantly stirring him, though this time she was completely out of it and not actually doing so on purpose. He glanced around, seeing that the others were all passed out and dead asleep. He sighed and settled back closing his eyes again, but then an idea started to form in his head. The angle in which Astrid sat across his lap was _perfect_ , away from the eyes of everyone else if they happened to wake up. Feeling mischievous and needing to get her back, Hiccup gathered as much courage as he could muster, hoping to the gods she wouldn't hurt him for this, but knowing also that she liked it when he initiated something.

Hiccup wanted to pay her back for tormenting him earlier, and he knew just what to do. Shifting her carefully, he spread her legs subtly, making sure not to wake her up and grinned as he slid his hand up her skirt, dipping it under her leggings and binding swiftly. By now, after several months of practice, Hiccup knew just how to touch her, knew just how to make her pant and beg for more, and he would use everything he learned now. With now experienced fingers, he began to probe her, dipping between her folds, sliding back and forth. Astrid moaned softly in her sleep and Hiccup set his plan in motion.

Hiccup needed her to wake up for there to be any point to this, but he didn't want to just simply wake her up the normal, abrupt way either, so he did the only thing he could think of. This was something that he had discovered recently in the two months they had been intimate, that worked really well and he'd probably get beaten up for it later. He _seduced_ her awake. Leaning over so he could whisper in her ear, he called her name softly. "Astrid... _Astrid_... wake up, babe, wake up..." he murmured softly, then smirked before he really got into his plan. "Oh Astrid..." he sung and smiled when she hummed softly, shifting slightly, but didn't quite wake.

He leaned in a little more, using his other hand to tilt her head a little to him so he could press his lips to her ear, blowing his breath on her a little, making her shiver and press closer to him. He closed his eyes and got into 'character', pretending he was making love to her. " _Uhh_..." he moaned out, dragging it out. "A-Astrid... _ooh_..." he moaned low in her ear, getting a shiver out of her, still sliding his fingers slowly but continually over her sex. " _M-Milady_..! Babe, _ahh-!_ _Mmm_... _uhh._.. _Ast-ri-d_..." he continued groaning weak and huskily into her ear, increasingly his rubbing, earning a long whimper from her as she twisted a little in his embrace, no doubt he was invading her dreams with his efforts by now.

Hiccup rubbed her arm with his other hand, sliding it to her chest then to cup her, squeezing gently, then licked her ear a little, continuing his assault on her as he tried to wake her. "Wake up, babe, _ooh_...!" his rubs were a little quicker now, as was her frowns and twists in her sleep. " _Ahh_ - _Please_..! _Uhh_... wake up... _mmm_..." he whined in her ear, then grinned when she moaned and whimpered in answer, pushing into him unconsciously, knowing how easily he could rouse her with his voice and his words. He had discovered that if he moaned convincingly and dirtily enough in her ear, she almost always became aroused.

It was one of his favorite ways of getting her back when she flustered him, or if he just wanted to persuade her to be with him again. He'd lean in enough to almost be touching her and whine, whimper, moan, and mewl into her ear until she grabbed him and shoved her tongue down his throat, giving him just what he wanted. It was a dirty tactic, but she didn't seem to mind the end result anyway. He would use it to his advantage here to maximize the results of his vengeance on her. She wanted him to have more initiative and take charge, right? She said it before to him... confidence was sexy... alright then, if that's what she wanted, he'd try it on.

Astrid slowly blinked awake with a soft moan, panting and eyes glazed over, having had a wickedly erotic dream of Hiccup pleasuring her, her eyes rolled with pleasure at the feeling of his rough, large hand deep between her legs. Was she still dreaming? Focusing, finally waking up fully, she gasped when she realized with a start that no, _oh gods_ , she wasn't dreaming, his nimble fingers were actually digging greedily into her.

With a little squeak, she shot him a panicked look, seeing the little knowing smile tilting the edge of his lips up, eyes half-lidded. _Oh Freyja_! She shouldn't have teased him so much earlier! "W-Wh- _aah_..!"Astrid shuddered as his fingers rolled over her clit just then, making her arousal spill over his fingers. She arched arch back a little, shocked and horribly aroused. " _Haa..!_ " Astrid gasped again, moaning and reluctantly trying to shy away from his eager fingers, now using her own wetness to slide over her more easily. "What... w-what are _y-you doing_?!" she hissed, glancing over at their thankfully still sleeping friends. Looking back at him, she saw the now achingly familiar determined and wicked look in his eyes.

Hiccup didn't answer, just continued with his assault, circling his now wet fingers in tight little circles around her clit, setting her sex on fire. Astrid moaned in protest, tried to get away, tried to pull his hand out from between her legs, tried to scramble off his lap so the risk of being discovered was removed. She nearly managed to do so, managed to pull his hand out from within her soaked center, and nearly slid away from him, but Hiccup wouldn't have any of it.

The one-legged Viking pulled her right back onto his lap with a grunt of effort, shifting where he sat a little so he could settle her more securely between his legs, then for a better angle, trapping her there, and held her firmly against him, his grasp not at all lose this time. Hiccup knew she didn't want to risk getting caught, but this was too perfect an opportunity and he didn't want to miss it. "No, no, not this time, milady," he whispered and held her still, spreading her legs back open and pushed once more under her binding, wedging his fingers right back to where they had been before. She still fought against him a bit, but she was still soaked, so it was easy to get back to his previous rhythm, tapping at her clit a little to get her to gasp and shudder, stilling her attempts to escape again.

Unable to resist the torrid pleasure, Astrid moaned low and throatily against him, shuddering with both anxiety over getting caught and unbelievable arousal of him finally finding his balls and taking initiative."H-Hic _cup_..!" her breath hitched, feeling him beginning to curl his fingers, one at a time along her. He did this very gently, running them over her slit until the burn in her burst in her belly like a raging volcano, shooting pleasure and need through her, rushing through her veins and harshly pooling wetly between her legs.

No... no... they couldn't do this here! Not when they were just yards away from their friends! Oh why did he always decide to be bold in the most inopportune times? She whispered to him in a panic, trying to make him see sense, tugging on his arm, trying weakly to get him to stop though knowing at the same time that she _really_ didn't want him to. " _Hiccup_ , please, please no, _d-don't do this_! N-Not here..! W-We'll get cau- _ooh.. ooh..._ " she moaned in defeat, twisting against him, eyes rolling as he pressed into her clit again and again to squelch her attempts to resist him, a fresh river of warm, wet desire, making it all the easier for him to slide his slick fingers over her. " _Oh_ gods... _gods_... Hiccup..." she whined.

Hiccup merely smiled in response, knowing well how deeply their friends usually slept, especially with the distance they had between each other there. There would be minimal chance at getting caught, and he wasn't stupid, he had taken the risk factors into account and decided it was worth the risk anyway. "Shh," he murmured, shushing her gently, his eyes full of mischief and promise. "Just _relax_..." he cooed, and began flicking her clit, dragging his finger smoothly over the little bundle of nerves with practiced ease. Astrid contorted against him, letting out little squeals with each swipe, panting with the effort not to moan out loud, feeling her walls flutter slightly again, almost clenching but not quite, an almost continuous warm, wet flood of arousal making his glistening fingers slide over her with devastating results.

 _Freyja_! She created the demon she had once described him as!

Hiccup was beginning to learn how to drive her insane with desire. he wasn't usually very competitive, but when it came to sex, the few times they went at it already, they always tried to one up the other. Astrid wasn't sure whether she was happy about this or mournful at the situation she was currently in. Hiccup knew by now just how to make her completely fall apart, having thoroughly explored her body the past couple months whenever they got a moment to themselves. Each time he would try to see how much and how hard he could make her finish. Astrid had tried to do the same, but she just wasn't as skilled with her hands as he was. Her mouth though, was a different story... but she couldn't exactly suck him off here! Gods, if he made her orgasm too hard, she wasn't sure if she could keep from waking their friends or the dragons sleeping near the door.

A snort from one of their friends made them start slightly. Astrid had assumed Hiccup would at least pause in his slow attempt to ruin her body pleasurably with the risk, but no, _he didn't_. Astrid fearfully glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone had woken up, even as she writhed again, a weak orgasm making her go nearly insane, trembling from the merciless, continuous pleasure, but they were all still asleep. She turned back to rest her cheek on him, trying to keep her wits about her, trying to slow her breathing, trying to get her heart to settle, but she quickly realizing that her attempts were completely impossible.

Astrid squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip hard to stay quiet, feeling his hand persistently sliding over her, rubbing her clit each time, alternating in speed and pressure just to throw her off, just to make her bindings so much more sodden. She whimpered quietly, knowing how bad this could get. "H-Hiccup, if you... d-don't stop... I'll... I'll hit you..." she threatened shakily, though made no effort to move away from him again. Hiccup stills for a second, honestly worried she would retaliate, but then noticed the reaction she gave him when he stopped, pitching back, her hips rising up to his hand desperately. " _Ahh_..!" she cried, gripping him tighter, giving him a conflicted, bur very obviously pleading look.

So, she didn't want and at the same time very much wanted this? Feeling like he could risk it, he continued on again, wiggling a finger through her silky inner lips, stroking her walls while rolling her clit with his thumb quickly. Astrid mewled in defeat and had to cover her mouth with her hands as a little sob of agonizing pleasure escaped her, her pulsating sex once more fluttering furiously, locking up hot and fast. Astrid moaned hard, pressing her face to his neck quickly, shaking against him, trying to stay still and quiet as a tiny orgasm rippled through her wetly.

Hiccup smiled and kissed her cheek lovingly, then whispered in her ear again. "I don't care if you hit me after this. You can punch and kick me all you want and I'll happily take it, but this, my lady, is payback for torturing me earlier. All is fair in love and war, after all. So try not to wake up our friends, okay? Or our dragons..." he added with a little smirk.

Astrid merely groaned in response. "H-Hiccup..." she whimpered anxiously.

"Don't worry so much," Hiccup grinned, being assured by the deep desire in her tone that he wouldn't be attacked, at least not while he was pleasuring her, and continued. He leaned in and began moaning softly in her ear again, extending her pleasure by holding back a few times.

Succumbed to her agonizing, clawing desire, Astrid couldn't take it anymore and braced herself against him, raising her hips subtly to meet his probing fingers, eyes still screwed shut, lips parted, twisting and panting against him, beginning to not care where she was and who was around them. " _Nng_...!" she moaned through clenched teeth, straining in his tight hold as he wrecked her.

Hiccup held her down and still. "Wait, wait," he hissed. "You'll make it too obvious, Astrid. Just lean on me and... _take it_..." he whispered huskily in her ear, knowing the dominant demand would arouse her further. Astrid whined softly as predicted, shuddering in pleasure. Pleased with her reaction, he wiggled against her again and flicked her until she began convulsing and shaking, hot need splashing over his fingers again, her hands gripping him tightly, moaning for more. He smiled and slipped a finger into her again, pumping her a little, slowly working her clit, making her feel several little orgasm spasming through her, listening to her moan long and tortured against him, trying desperately to remain silent.

Hiccup held back again, pulling his hand slightly away, letting her calm down enough before continuing on, smiling in amusement when she managed to growl threateningly against him. In response, he squeezed a finger back into her and rolled his thumb over her clit repeatedly, panting in her ear and letting his other hand roll over her nipple through her shirt. Astrid jerked and shrieked into his armor, quickly reaching the peak of her pleasure again, but he held back. " _Nnn_... _noo_..!" she whined, trying to get him to relieve her. "Hiccup... don't... Hic... _Hiccup_..!" she squealed against him when he continued to keep her away from completion.

"So how do you like it when you can't feel relief? Not so great, is it?" he teased her quietly. He'd certainly get his ass kicked for this, or get paid back in a more pleasant way for it sooner or later, he knew that well, but damn it felt good to get back at her. Hiccup absolutely loved Astrid, but sometimes she took his willingness to do and take anything from her for granted and he had to let her know he wouldn't be pushed around so easily anymore. She wanted him to gain more confidence, and that meant not taking shit from anyone, including her.

Astrid knew what he was doing and part of her groaned in exasperation, but also felt a little proud of him. Still, she couldn't keep the desperation from her tone as she begged him to relieve her, hating having to do so and hating and loving that he knew how to make her cave in so well. Oh but she needed it so badly, she burned so hotly, it was torture and almost painful. "H-Hiccu- _uhh_... _Hicc_... _F-Finish_ it... _finish_...I... I _ne-eed_..." she moaned helplessly, trailing off, unable to finish her broken plea properly, tugging on him beseechingly.

Hiccup got the picture and decided to give in to her pleas. He began pumping fast now, gently battering her clit while slipping in another finger to join the other thrusting into her, working her hot and hard until she lost it. Astrid wasn't able to stop her orgasm from viciously overwhelming her. She desperately choked down her wail, quietly whimpering incessantly with her attempts to remain silent. Knowing this would drive her crazy, Hiccup then started to moan pained and urgently in her ear, fast and breathless, mimicking what he might sound like if he was thrusting hard into her, making her slippery walls clench tighter, and another tormented sob of ecstasy escape her as she came again.

Hiccup's other arm wrapped around her, holding her tightly as she fell to pieces harshly against him, body spasming, her face hidden against him as she moaned urgently, trying desperately to muffle her cries, hands gripping him tightly, her now utterly soaked thighs trembling. Hiccup moaned again, this time a real one, feeling her hot, fluttering walls clenching down tightly over his fingers. He was, by now, once more extremely hard, but it was totally worth it, feeling completely satisfied with the results of his vengeance. If having to endure a little sexual frustration meant hearing her beg and seeing her helplessly unravel like that to his touch, Hiccup felt it was something he was more than willing to put up with.

Astrid panted hard against him, recovering from her many and unforgiving orgasms. Her mind completely blown, not having believed he was capable of _this_ yet. She had so far only had to beg him when he wasn't sure if he should do something and stalled, but this was the first time he deliberately made her whine and plea for him to give her completion. Hiccup rubbed her arm soothingly then, trying to get her to relax. "Would you like more, milady?" he asked curiously, fingers still in her, thumb stroking her inner thigh enticingly, eyes still twinkling teasingly.

Astrid whimpered in respond, unable to find her voice just yet, wanting more but not wanting to risk it, especially now that she could sense his erection brushing against her thigh hotly. All she wanted to do was strip him and impale herself on him, ride him hard until they both screamed in ecstasy, but that would be absurd at the moment. She could only imagine the look on everyone's face... though the horror, disbelief, and disappointment on Snotlout's face might be worth it. Unfortunately, they couldn't do something as reckless and foolish as that.

So instead, she shook her head, avoiding eye-contact so she wouldn't crack and tears his clothes off with her teeth. Hiccup finally pulled his hand away and simply held her close, ignoring his own need. Astrid held her breath for a second, half expecting him to continue on anyway, but when he didn't make another move to pleasurably torture her again, she finally relaxed in his arms again. They took several moments to calm down, before falling asleep again.

When Astrid woke next, she half expected to feel unending ecstasy again, but sighed in relief when instead of feeling his hand between her legs, she felt him very delicately stroking her cheek. Astrid hummed contentedly and leaned into his touch. "I'm sorry I was so forceful last night," Hiccup whispered to her. "I suppose I got carried away trying to get you back this time... will you forgive me..?"

Astrid smiled and turned her head, kissing his palm with as much adoration as her fuzzy, still half-asleep mind could muster. "Don't worry about it, I... I uh, liked it..." she blushed, biting her lip and looking away.

Hiccup's brow rose, tilting his head a little. "What did you like? What I did or that I was... forceful..?"

Astrid tried not to squirm, not wanting to set him off again. "Um... both..." she admitted shyly, not able to look at him. "I uh... like when you're... when you um..."

Hiccup grinned knowingly. "Take charge..?" he offered.

Astrid was only able to nod, flushed, still unable to meet his gaze. Hiccup smiled and tilted her head back, tenderly kissing her over the lips, chaste and sweet. "I'll take that under consideration..." he promised and grinned again when she snorted and rolled her eyes fondly. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping her up in his long limbs, smiling as she sunk deeper into his embrace, and hid his face in her neck, sighing blissfully when she dragged her nails gently over his scalp. After a few more minutes of wallowing in their warmth and love they began to doze off again.

"Let go... it's _my_ blanket... my blanket..." Tuffnut snorted loudly in his sleep then. "Wha-?" he started awake, blinking sleepily before yawning and 'accidentally' smacking his sister over the head.

"Bwah? Hey! Stay on your side!" Ruffnut spat sleepily.

"Hmph, looks like they're all waking up..." Astrid muttered lazily to her drowsy lover.

"Mm-hmm..." Hiccup nodded, his eyes opening slowly, half-lidded with grogginess. "We should probably move before they notice us..." he sighed.

Astrid groaned in frustration but did so, pushing herself off his inviting lap and trying to ignore how her body protested leaving his oh so soothing warmth.

One by one the others began to wake up. As soon as she noticed him awake, Astrid smirked at Snotlout, putting on a show of stretched and sighing contentedly. "Say, Snotlout, how'd you sleep? Because I slept warm and cozy, just like you said it'd be," she sneered at him, then turned to Hiccup. "Thanks for putting up with that," she told him as casually as she could manage.

Hiccup pretended to stutter as he answered. "Uh, yeah... I guess, you're welcome..." he rubbed his neck.

The twins smirked at each other knowingly. Fishlegs smiled at the upset look on Snotlout's face. Hookfang snorted in amusement, earning a glare from his rider. Fishlegs got up then and went over to the doors, giving Meatlug an affectionate rub as he checked through one of the holes. "Hey guys, looks like the main storm is over. It stopped snowing..." he mentioned.

Hiccup groaned and stretched as he got to his feet, wincing at the ache from his stump, the cold making it tighten slightly and scrape against his prosthetic. He really needed to build himself a better one! "Alright gang. We should get out of here before we're trapped again. Gather as many supplies as you think might be useful and let's head out, see what the damage is." The group did as they were told and soon they were flying over Berk, checking to see what the storm did. The amount of snow led them to believe the storm really was as bad as the previous year. "Let's head over to the barn," he suggested and flew them out.

They landed at the barn and were relieved when it was still intact. They went inside to check on the animals and found most of them sleeping and all of them alive. For now they were all safe and warm and still had their food. They then made their way out again and toward the Great Hall before another storm hit. They all carefully went up to the doors without slipping on ice and knocked loudly. There was a bit of commotion from inside, no doubt Vikings removing the barricade keeping the door closed, and then the doors opened.

Once they all piled into the Great Hall, Stoick grabbed and hugged Hiccup tightly. "Son! I was... I was concerned," he sighed in relief.

"I'm... okay... dad... need to... breathe!" Hiccup gasped, groaning when his father finally released him, noticing the others getting similar treatment from their own parents. Hiccup took a moment to recover and then went ahead and explained the situation to him.

Stoick nodded. "Good that the animals are still safe. Maybe now that we have a clearing in the storm we can get some of them in here for eggs and milk," he suggested. "The bad winter isn't over yet. We'll need to make it work in the Great Hall again," he sighed, rubbing his neck, showing the family tic.

"We'll help, dad," Hiccup promised.

After they went out again and brought some of the animals into the Great Hall with them, another storm hit. They shut the doors tight and all sat around the long tables. No one questioned when Astrid and Hiccup sat next to each other, as they often did so. The two settled in and caressed each others hands under the table, already missing the pleasure of being in a simple embrace together. They sent each other knowing, longing looks. This was going to be a long winter.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Oh man, the torture! He may still be eighteen at this point, but he's rapidly turning into "that" Hiccup, carefully but in a way kind of unintentionally being brought out by Astrid herself, ironically! I have a feeling Hiccup loves making her beg lol, probably for the same reason she loves when he's assertive, it being against how they normally are. Believe it or not this chapter has an actual purpose, it's not just for smut's sake lol. Also, the twins are beginning to notice lol._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Mia:** Play out onscreen? Are you saying you want to see them have lots of hot sex before confessing their undying love for each other..? Actually, good god, I want that too, lol! Perverts unite! _

_**Haddockwarriorr:** Thanks!_

 _ **Me:** Lol so needy!_

 _ **keepmystrength:** You lot are so demanding lol! _

_**Resisting-Moonlight:** Oh yes, yes he is! _

_**British:** Thank you! _

_**LightningAndDeathItself218:** Definitely smut lol. _

_**wikelia:** I know, right? I love fluffy moments too!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Little Light of Love" by Eric Serra._

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It had now been over half a year into their relationship and their birthdays were rapidly approaching again.

Astrid spent a lot of time flying around the archipelago with Hiccup, trying to find new dragons, trying to map out the islands nearby, and sneaking in sweet sweet alone time when they could and their dragons weren't getting in the way. It was exhilarating and exciting, but Astrid was beginning to feel like there could be more she could be doing. Something deep inside Astrid was beginning to stir, a restlessness to make something out of her life. She loved Hiccup deeply, but she couldn't just spend all her time going out on flights of fancy with him, no matter how pleasurable they often became. She just felt like she was missing something, and didn't quite know what to do about it.

On the brighter side of things, Hiccup was now showing clear signs of being stronger and more confident in general. To Astrid's delight, when he was with her, he was starting to show that more assertive side she had mostly impatiently coaxed out of him, having sparked in him after that winter night. Astrid couldn't get enough of it, but he was still holding back and it frustrated her a little, because she knew he was capable of being one hell of an intense lover. They had gotten much more comfortable with each other though, and Hiccup had made it his personal mission to discover all her weaknesses over several more intimate moments. They were now completely at ease with each other, which was a great relief to both of them.

A few months after being trapped in the Great Hall for the winter, spring finally hit ...or less terrible winter at least. Thaw Festival was once again upon them to celebrate the end of the bad winter and return of milder, nicer weather. While Astrid was out dutifully practicing on Stormfly and flinging her axes at targets, Hiccup found himself in the woods with Gobber, preparing for the festival once again.

Last year he hadn't practiced all the much, not having had faith he'd be able to win, even if he could win the dragon events. The tie event had been geared toward strength and even when by some fluke Hiccup had managed to keep up, he just didn't want to put up with Snotlout if he managed to, so he threw it. Besides, Astrid had been pleased he had done Snotlout a favor, being to good sport. She hadn't kissed him like she had the previous year, for some reason, but she had stroked his cheek and thanked him for being the good guy. So all was well. This year though, this year things felt different.

Spitelout and Snotlout were also nearby, doing the same. They often stuck close to Hiccup just to rub it in his face that he had no hope of beating the Jorgensons. Spitelout glanced over at the admittedly tall and charismatic young man and smirked. "You should give up, boy-oh!" he called over.

"Don't listen, Hiccup," Gobber instructed as he guided him to a tree.

"It's no use, Hiccup. My son always wins. Why don't you save your father the shame and just stop trying?" he chuckled.

"You tell 'em dad!" Snotlout sneered.

Hiccup scowled at them, feeling his hackles rise. "Hiccup," Gobber placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me, lad. I know you have a good chance of winning this year," he grinned, then led him over to a sapling, a little like the one he had tried to tear out almost three years ago. "Remember all those heavy tasks I gave you this year? Use that now," he advised.

Hiccup rounded on him. "I knew it! You've been training me all year for _this_!" he accused.

Gobber waved his hook dismissively. "No idea what you're talking about, boy. But now that you mention it, it's a mighty fine idea! I just might have to give you more work to do for next year's Thawfest!" he chuckled. "I've merely been trying to make an honest Viking out of you with some hard work. Now, come on then, pull that wee tree out of the ground like I know you can!"

Hiccup scoffed, shooting his mentor a look, but grabbed onto the tree, his hands now large enough to grip it well, then with a grunt of effort, yanked the thing clean out of the ground, roots and all with surprising amount of ease. "...Well I'll be damned..." he muttered in disbelief. Two years ago he couldn't get a tree exactly like this one to budge, now he uprooted it completely. When the Hel had he been able to do something like that?

"Yeah! That's how it's done!" Gobber grinned, sneering over to the now gawking Jorgensons. "Not so smug now, are you?"

Snotlout snapped out of it first and scowled. "Beginners luck! I bet you can't do that again!" he huffed, tossing his own tree he pulled out over his shoulder dramatically.

Gobber smirked and led his apprentice to another, bigger tree. "Alright, lad. Do it again," he grinned.

Hiccup stared at the tree, twice the size the other one was, nearly the size of a young adult pine tree. "Uh... Gobber, I hate to break it to you, but I just don't have the muscles to pull this one out..." he murmured

Gobber snorted. "Nonsense! It's not about how big your muscles are, boy! It's about the effort you put into strengthening them, toughening your body and your mind! Think of all those bags of weapons you carried, all those weapons you hammered into being, all those hundreds of hours you put your body through vigorous drills day in and day out, all the time you used your strength to control a huge beast in the air! Was that something a weak person could do?"

Hiccup flushed and fidgeted. "I um, I guess not..?"

Gobber nodded. "'Course not! Hiccup, you need to believe in yourself," he told him. "I know you may not look it, you may still look as thin and frail as a twig compared to most other male Vikings in the whole of Berk-"

"-Oh gee thanks..." Hiccup snorted, glowering at him. "You're making me feel _so much better_ , thank you, Gobber," he drawled sarcastically.

Gobber rolled his eyes. "The point is, I _know_ you're strong, I've seen you grow and get stronger every year! And I've given you enough work this last year to build up the strongest Viking! I'm honestly not sure why you still look so thin, but I have a feeling you can do it, and my feelings aren't usually wrong," he declared with a proud smile.

Hiccup smiled a little. "Aww, thanks Gobber..." he grinned, then turned back to the tree. "Alright, well, if you feel so strongly about it... maybe I _can_ ," he shrugged.

"That's the spirit!" Gobber beamed.

"Hah! Yeah right!" Snotlout spat.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, but didn't take them away from the tree. Taking a deep breath, he went over to it and wrapped his arms around it. He psyched himself up and began trying to pull it. He struggled for a bit, and to their surprise, it budged, just a little, but didn't come out quite yet. Snotlout laughed at his attempts. Gobber, excited over the little progress, tried to encourage him. "Come on, lad! Put your _back_ into it! Try _harder_! Think of it as all the bullying you had gotten when you were younger, all in that tree, now _tear it out_!"

Hiccup thought about what he said for a moment, then turned around and presses his back against the tree like he had tried a few years ago. This time, he slid down a little, bracing his prosthetic at the base of the tree. He gripped it tightly, not budging from his spot this time, and pulled forward, growling, taking a step forward for further leverage, straining with the effort. The tree groaned, cracked, and shook, but finally, to their great amazement, he managed to yank it right out of the ground, stumbling forward a little until he regained his balance. Spitelout and Snotlout gaped at the sight of the large tree now resting over the back of the lanky Viking in disbelief.

Gobber howled with pride. "Yes! Yes! That's what I thought! You're stronger than you look!" he laughed happily. "That's what I'm talking about! I told you, lad! I told you! Oh wait until your father finds out!" Hiccup blushed deeply and tossed the tree aside, rubbing his neck bashfully. Maybe Gobber was right? Maybe there really was a Viking in him, after all? Gobber grinned broadly and slapped him across the back, nearly making him pitch forward from the force. "You're ready!" he decided.

Spitelout scoffed. Well, the Haddock boy _was_ related to them, after all, even if it was a stretched relation. Still, it really was about time he manned up. "Come on, boy, we have more training to do," he frowned, leading his still stunned son off.

Later that evening, Hiccup had to endure his father and Gobber boasting and drinking in celebration when Gobber had told his dad the good news about Hiccup's surprising strength. Hiccup sighed wearily and let his eyes drift off, wishing he could be with his girlfriend instead, wondering if she was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her. Gods, when had he become so obsessed with her? Oh, that's right, pretty much since they were five. Thor, how he longed to have her in his arms, squeeze her tight, breathe in her sweet scent, hear her purr with pleasure in his ear.

Speaking of hearing things, Hiccup's head hit the table and he groaned in exasperation then when the men started singing. "Seriously," he mumbled against the wood. "I just pulled a few trees out of the ground, I didn't actually win Thawfest or anything..." he sighed.

"That's just the point, son! With your strength this year, you could actually win it!" Stoick choked with emotion.

"You make it sound like I discovered how to create automatic crossbows or something... hmm..." Hiccup frowned thoughtfully. Now that was a thought. His back was promptly slapped with cheerful and painful enthusiasm, jostling him from his thoughts and almost from his seat. "Come, come, drink up, son!" Stoick handed him a tankard of mead.

"Should I be drinking before the competition?" Hiccup sighed, taking the mug.

"Oh one mug won't get you drunk, come on, we're celebrating!" Gobber grinned.

"Right, right, okay," Hiccup raised his mug and struck it against his father's and mentors, then joined them reluctantly.

Meanwhile, Astrid sat and listened with mild interest as her parents rattled on about rumors they heard of the Haddock boy tearing apart a tree with his bare hands. Now that sounded fantastic, but she knew rumors were usually exaggerated. Still, the fact that there even _was_ a rumor about Hiccup, and related to strength, interested her greatly. What she wouldn't give to sneak into his room and find out for herself... but she saw Gobber go to his house earlier and knew there would be no chance to be with him tonight. Sighing longingly, she picked at the chicken leg on her plate and listened to her parents change the conversation to shipping lanes and armory related things. Astrid turned in early that night, deciding she needed her sleep before the festival.

Early the next morning, before everyone showed up for the festival, the riders met up there, watching the last minute touches of the decorations, including the contestant portraits being put up. "Hey 'Legs, you're not competing this time?" Hiccup asked in a slight slur, not seeing Fishleg's picture painted up at the board when he squinted through the painful sun light. He rubbed his aching head for a second, scowling to himself. One mug they said. Won't get drunk they said. Thor damn them. They made him drink six mugs, _six._ If he was as short as he had been, he wouldn't have been able to take three though, so he supposed it was something to feel accomplished over, he guessed.

"Nah, Meatlug and I decided there was too much competition this year," Fishlegs shrugged. "It's no big deal! It'll be fun to watch," he smiled.

"Hah! Yeah right!" Snotlout shouted mirthfully. "You just chickened out 'cause you couldn't handle going up against The Snot," he boasted.

"Snotlout, gods, not so loud," Hiccup groaned, rubbing his head again.

"Hiccup, do you have a _hangover_?" Astrid asked with great amusement.

Hiccup scowled. "Maybe..."

Snotlout snorted. "Lightweight. I never get drunk," he puffed proudly.

"Yeah right!" Astrid scoffed. "Remember last year during Snoggletog when Tuffnut swapped your wine for Johann's imported rum? Two mugs of that stuff and they had to drag you out!"

"That-That was different! That was some strong stuff!"

Tuffnut and Ruffnut went over to them from smacking themselves over the head with clubs in order to 'rate' them. "Actually, that rum had been watered down, it probably wasn't that much stronger than mead," the male twin sneered.

Snotlout flushed deeply. "Whatever... I'm still going to roast all of you! Just watch, the Jorgensons have never lost! Fishlegs out of the games will just make it all the easier for me to win," he grinned, then turned to Hiccup. "That stunt you pulled with those trees was a fluke!"

"Twice?" Hiccup smirked, then blushed and squirmed when Astrid narrowed her eyes disapprovingly.

"Whatever! It was luck! You'll still lose, just like every year! Face it, cus', you don't have it in you!" the shorter teen sneered, though it fell slightly at the way Hiccup was looking back at him. His cousin was silent and had a confident smirk on his face, making him shrink a little from his gloating and scowl.

Astrid crossed her arms and frowned a little, waiting for Hiccup to boast back, but was pleased when he didn't. Instead, to everyone's surprise, he put his hand out. "Here's to a good game, Snotlout. Good luck," he said.

Snotlout stared at the proffered hand before slapping it away. "I don't need luck," he huffed. "I'll win. I've always won," he glared, and walked off.

Hiccup didn't take the bait and simply lowered his hand again, then turned when his dad stepped through the gates, grinning at him. "Hey dad," he greeted him, then nearly collapsed onto the floor when the larger man slapped him over the shoulder amiable.

"I just came by to wish you luck, son!" Stoick smiled.

Astrid nodded to herself, appeased that Hiccup wasn't gloating so far. There had been that one moment, but Snotlout had deserved it anyway. He better keep that up and not have it be like it had been two years ago. Last year he had thrown the games as well, and now Astrid understood why, it was both so Snotlout would feel better after he had been yelled at so harshly by his father, and also to win Astrid's affection. The sneak.

It might have also been to make up for when Hiccup had reprimanded him so viciously, but she wasn't sure about that. In any case, this year, he didn't seem to have that intention, she just hoped he didn't turn into a bragging fool again, especially since he had a very high chance of winning now.

They all waited until the stalls filled, until the food was distributed, until they were all in position and ready. Hiccup was now eager to prove that he had grown stronger, faster, and more agile. All the strength building Gobber had sneaked in on him had proven effective in training, it was finally paying off. Finally, they were ready. Stoick then cried "Let the Thaw festival games begin!" and released the Terrible Terrors.

Just like every year, the first event was Sheep Lugging. "The contestants are once again lining up for the sheep lug!" said Mulch from his seat next to Bucket.

"It's a good day for lugging sheep, Mulch," Bucket beamed happily.

Mulch rolled his eyes fondly. "...Ah, yes... Bucket, it is, it always is, just like every other year..." he sighed.

Gobber went by and tossed the sheep on the backs of the contestants. Snotlout sneered at Hiccup, then scowled when he didn't seem bothered by the animal's weight as he had the previous two years. What was up with that? When did he suddenly get so much stronger? Snotlout huffed in agitation and looked back to the end destination, spitting on his hands and wiping it on his face in a misguided attempt to psyche himself up.

This was the first year Hiccup was as tall as he was and his lanky form not quite as skinny as it had been when he first started getting taller. Last year he had grown so much so fast he was still too weak to do much. The sheep was light over Hiccup's now broader shoulders, so used to now hauling very heavy supplies, chains, bags full of weapons, and everything else Gobber had forced him to do. With a slap to Bucket's bucket, the event was set off and the teens all began to run. Astrid's training proved effective as well, running faster than she had the previous two years with her own growth spurts. However, Hiccup's now freakishly long legs let him cut through the academy with ease, the sheep bleating in panic where the tall Viking held her securely against his shoulders.

Despite the fact she surely lost this one, Astrid watched with delight as her boyfriend strode over the finish line with an agility he hadn't had in previous games. The twins shrugged at the loss and tossed their sheep off them, then smirked at Snotlout as he growled angrily and shouted. "You might have taken first point, Hiccup, but there are still many more events!" Hiccup merely shrugged and smiled, watching his cousin storm out.

Astrid walked over. "Hiccup, while I don't _plan_ on just giving up and losing, I'll of course support you if you win... I'll be keeping an eye on you though," she warned him.

Hiccup smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, I have no intention of gloating this time. I want to win fair and square this year," he declared.

Astrid smiled and nodded. "Good."

They waited for the next event to be set up then, watching Vikings bring in the rolling log and several bags of sad to cushion falls. When they were all ready, they climbs on top and waited for the event to be called. "Next up, everyone's favorite Thawfest tradition, the log roll event!" Mulch announced.

As soon as Bucket's head was smacked, it was on. The twins immediately smack into each other and fell off. Astrid ran pretty well, focusing on her balance, but the sand flinging up from where the twins fell, rushed into her face, blinding her for a second. She lost balance, tripped, and twisted herself so she would land gracefully as she fell off. She brushed the sand from her face and glowered at the sheepish looking twins, then looked back to the remaining two on the log.

Hiccup's long legs were to his disadvantage here, unfortunately. To everyone's cringe and shock, he slipped and fell crotch first against the log, spinning around for a second and hanging on until he was flung off, landing with a pained groan. Snotlout laughed gleefully. Because Snotlout was still closer to the log and stubbier, he was able to win this this point. "...Oh... gods..." Hiccup gasped in pain, trying to ignore the uncontrolled guffaws from his cousin nearby, laughing himself to tears at his misfortune.

"Thor!" Astrid gasped. "Hiccup!" she ran over and tried to help him. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, helping him to his feet while Toothless crooned with his version of concern.

"Don't worry, Hiccup! It's not like you had much of a chance to use what you crushed anyway!" Snotlout taunted gleefully.

Astrid saw the glare and the tightening of her boyfriend's jaw. "Don't take the bait," she advised him. "He's not the one getting any, is he?" she grinned.

Hiccup smiled a little, a bit consoled. "I wish I could rub it in his face... I mean, I know that's kind of shallow but-"

"-No, no, I agree with you," Astrid interrupted with a soft chuckle. "It'd be nice to bring him down a couple hundred pegs, tell him how much you make me _scream_ in pleasure..." she chuckled at his completely reddened face. "He doesn't know just _how much_ you really use your equipment," she winked.

"Astrid..." Hiccup squirmed, still very much in pain and now groaning with a bit more when he twinged with a bit of arousal. "Please don't arouse me, it hurts too much..." he whined.

Astrid immediately sobered and frowned worriedly again, though tried not to make a huge show of it in front of everyone. "Is it that bad?"

"Nah," Hiccup smiled weakly. "Don't worry about it."

Astrid wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah... just sore in delicate parts... not like they were cut off or anything," he muttered a little shyly.

Astrid leaned in a little to him, deciding it was too much fun to just not tease him. "That's too bad, I like those delicate parts of yours..." she said playfully.

Hiccup's blushed darkly again. "I just need to get some ice and I'll be in working order in no time," he assured her.

Astrid swallowed a giggle and grinned again. "That's good to hear."

"Are you good to go, lad?" Mulch asked curiously.

"All good!" Hiccup called back.

Astrid grinned. " _Really_ good... _mmhmm_..." she teased, earning another deep blush from her boyfriend.

Hiccup groaned again. "Astrid... _please_ don't fluster me during the games..." he protested.

Astrid snickered. "No promises. Besides, I'm still in the game, so I gotta use everything I can to my advantage!"

Hiccup growled softly. "Using my desire for you is kind of cheating, you know..."

Astrid laughed a little. "You keep telling me all is fair in love and war, though I honestly don't know where you come up with those things. Still, it applies beautifully here, babe," she sneered teasingly, smirking at the scowl he gave her.

Snotlout sighed impatiently. "Can we get _on_ with it already?"

"Alright then, now that we had concluded that the continuation of the Haddock line isn't in jeopardy, we can carry on!" Mulch announced, wincing at the almost identical glares from both Haddock men. "Uh, ehem. The next event is axe throwing! Remember contestants, accuracy is what matters most!"

Axe throwing was just a perilous with the twins in it as it was every year. As usual, the twins nearly sliced their own heads off and managed to fling the axes away, nearly killing several people. Snotlout, Astrid, and Hiccup all won a point. Astrid had almost lost, distracted by Hiccup. The way he had easily flung his axe so straight and precise, making it his the target dead center, made her quiver with hot appreciation. Gods, seeing him easily handle weapons like he now could shouldn't be so damn hot, but it was!

The days events were done with Hiccup and Snotlout with two points and Astrid with one. The twins dropped out from the next event, honestly simply interested in seeing the three duke it out than really participating. "That's all the events for today, join us tomorrow for the ever exciting dragon events!" Mulch announced.

The three remaining contestants walked off the stage and were met by their respective parents. Spitelout growled at Snotlout, telling him to get his act together. Meanwhile, Stoick went up to his son, ecstatic that he had won so many points that day. "Good job, son!" he congratulated him, beaming proudly, chest puffed with fatherly pride.

Hiccup rubbed his neck. "It was mostly luck, it's no big deal..." he said modestly.

Stoick laughed and smacked his shoulder cheerfully, nearly dislocating it. "Nonsense! You did fantastic!"

Hiccup blushed and smiled a little, trying to not let the doting attention get to him. He thanked his dad and then walked over to the others, regarding the twins. "You didn't have to drop out you know. Next time you should try concentrating more..." he advised them.

They shrugged. "Meh, it's more fun to mess around," Ruffnut mentioned.

"You said it sister," Tuffnut nodded.

Hiccup shrugged, and then turned to his cousin. "Hey Snotlout, uh, congratulations and all, I guess," he mentioned.

Snotlout snorted. "You'll see, I've gotten closer to Hookfang over the years, we'll win for sure!" he huffed.

Hiccup shrugged again. "Maybe, who knows. Good luck."

Snotlout stared a little in confusion, not getting why Hiccup was being so friendly today, then snorted and got on Hookfang, flying off.

Astrid saw the exchange and smiled approvingly at the attitude. A little bit later, at the gate, when everyone was out of sight, she pulled him to her and kissed his cheek. Hiccup grinned and leaned in again, but she halted him from trying more, placing a finger over his lips. "That's for being a good sport today," she told him.

Hiccup's brow rose with interest. "And what is my reward if I'm good sport tomorrow too?" he asked curiously, kissing her finger.

Astrid blushed deeply at the little kiss and pulled her hand away, fidgeting slightly. She forced herself to calm down, good gods it was just a little kiss on her hand! It wasn't like he sucked her finger or anything, jeez... Huh, ideas, speaking of which. Astrid grinned. " _More_ ," she said simply and shrugged.

Hiccup's eyes danced then. "I'm looking forward to _more_."

Astrid laughed softly. "You would be," she smiled, then stroked his cheek. "Good night," she cooed. They all separated to their homes, getting mixed receptions from their parents. Astrid was honestly not that crazy about winning Thawfest that year, more interested in what might happen afterward, actually. That night Astrid had the urge to sneak into Hiccup's room, but held back, not wanting to touch him until the end of the games, to make their union all the sweeter... as long as he kept up the good attitude, of course.

The next day was the dragon event. The first event was hurtles. Toothless was still the most agile and Hiccup's latest tweaks to his saddle and his armor made them more fluid, more aerodynamic. Astrid had also been practicing and earned a point as well. Snotlout was overeager and accidentally made Hookfang slap into the sides of the obstacles this time, a head-on collision that angered the Monsterous Nightmare. Hookfang huffed in frustration and flamed up, making Snotlout jump off and screech in pain, landing in a trow. He winced then at the disappointed look on his dad's face.

The talent display was next. Hiccup and Toothless flew straight up, high into the clouds, then they dove back down. Hiccup released himself from the saddle, making everyone gasp. They spun in the air around each other, circling gracefully, Hiccup stretching his arms and Toothless his wings out. They got close to the ground and everyone were on their toes. Astrid cringed, her hands tightening on Stormfly's saddle, who chirped slightly with her own concern for the two males. Hiccup then suddenly reattached before he could get too close to the ground and yanked on the saddle, shooting straight over the crowd, spinning over them. Everyone roared with cheer at the daredevil display and he earned highest marks.

Astrid prepared her own display. She had her Deadly Nadder fly back a bit, then shot out, spinning round and round with horizontally, then stopped with her abruptly and blasted upwards. They spun some more, with Stormfly's wings tucked in. Her wings snapped open then and Astrid flipped in the air, landing on her hands. They drifted back down slowly and gracefully, with Astrid still balanced perfectly on the saddle, easily rolling over and onto the ground once they landed. Everyone cheered again, earning her highest marks as well.

Snotlout's anger at being showed up by them completely distracted him. He had intended on showing a combination of fireballs and the wing blasts Astrid had shown him how to do, creating a ring of flame and flying through it, but he was much too testy to focus. He yanked hard on Hookfang's horns, making the Nightmare snort in frustration and smack him, knocking him off in retaliation. "Hookfang!" Snotlout shouted in indignation. In response, Hookfang growled and nudged Snotlout, in his own way telling him to cut the crap. Snotlout scowled but scratched Hookfang's chin discreetly, apologizing. He tried not to notice the glower his father was sending him.

Fly and shoot was the next event. As it happened, the targets were all set up in similar positions as they had been for the past couple Thawfest events. Hiccup and Astrid both won a point for excellent accuracy. Hookfang had been getting the short end of the stick of his rider's irritation and anger the whole day and had just about enough from the hatchling's attitude. So, he decided to punish his rider for being such an ass that day and went crazy, shooting every target in sight, completely on purpose this time.

Hiccup tried not to be too excited about actually having an excellent chance of winning this year with the most points so far. Astrid was still behind, but she didn't really care. She appraised her lover appreciatively, relieved he was being good and still not boasting, even though his chest was puffed and he was trying hard not to smile too widely. He was trying at least, which is what mattered most. Astrid waited until everyone was out of site and dragged him to the side, surprising him by pushing her tongue into his mouth. Hiccup moaned into the kiss, happy to receive such a nice prize. Astrid pulled away before Hiccup could take advantage of the pleasant situation and backed away from him with a little smile. "Astrid..." Hiccup whined, reaching for her.

"Patience," Astrid grinned.

"You're killing me..." Hiccup chuckled, but didn't try anything.

"Just wait," Astrid winked.

That night, Astrid sneaked in some Moon Tea before bed, planning on giving Hiccup _much_ more than a kiss by the end of tomorrow this year, if he stayed good, lost or won. Either way he would get a very pleasant reward. And she would of course get a consolation prize for losing the games. The thought of being with him in his bed, hot, panting, and moaning, quelled the competitive frustration within her. Oh yes, _totally_ worth losing for.

The next day the final event was decided to be just like it had been two years ago. An obstacle course race. It started out without dragons, just like before, with challenges and the need to use strength, speed, and agility. Hiccup proved that his agility was again on point, and Astrid's was unquestioned. Snotlout had tried to get at Hiccup, tried to make him lose, but by doing so, giving in to his frustration, he had not been focusing completely and fell into the water during the climb. Hookfang had been nearby and scooped him up, taking him back.

In the end, Hiccup and Astrid both won the points. Since Astrid was one point behind, Hiccup was then announced as the winner and was given the metal. Everyone cheered ecstatically, chanting his name enthusiastically. Hiccup flushed at the attention and waved at them, then tried to shake hands with each of them. Snotlout was hesitant but eventually and reluctantly took his hand. He snorted then and yanked his hand away. "You did... fine... _pure luck_ , but whatever," he growled, begrudgingly impressed by him, then turned and left, trying to ignore his dad scolding him.

When Hiccup reached his hand out to Astrid, she grinned and squeezed it a little, giving him a promising look. Hiccup grinned right back at her, then was distracted by his father who grabbed him and crushed him in a hug, laughing and shouting how proud he was and how they were going to celebrate his first ever win! Hiccup pried himself out of his dad's embrace and gasped for breath, thanking him weakly.

That evening at the Great Hall, Hiccup and Astrid sat together and watched with amusement as Stoick and Gobber _sang_ badly next to a keg of mead, entertaining those around them. Astrid could tell Hiccup felt proud of himself and was happy that his dad was proud of him too. She took his hand and smiled brightly at him, happy for him. Hiccup grinned back and they turned back to watch cheerfully. Gobber grabbed Hiccup then, "No! No, come on!" Hiccup protested, being forced to join in on the crazy dancing with them while everyone cheered them on. Astrid laughed both in amusement and quite fondly at the display.

That night, Astrid waited for her parents to be asleep as she did often, and crept out of her house, dashing across the courtyard to her boyfriend's house swiftly and with much experience by now. She slunk into the house and sneaked by Stoick's room, hearing him snoring away. She scurried up the ladder to Hiccup's room and found him sitting at the edge of his bed, his foot tapping impatiently. "Astrid," Hiccup grinned shooting up from the bed.

Astrid walked over. "Will your dad wake up?' she asked curiously.

Hiccup shook his head. "No way, he drank _a lot_ of mead to celebrate, he's completely out of it."

Astrid smiled. "Good," she said simply, then promptly began to strip, tearing her shirt off and stepping out of her skirt. "You deserve your reward for being a good sport and for winning like a champ," she said with a knowing smile, removing her leggings and her bindings with very fast and practiced ease. "Well? What are you waiting for..?" she raised a brow, noticing the usual starstruck expression on his slackjawed face whenever she tore her clothes off in front of him. After about four months since their second time, they had done all they could to find moments to get used to each other, and many times in a row, so this wasn't at all an unusual experience for them.

Hiccup snapped out of it in an instant. By now he was no longer shy and hesitant. In fact, he knew well how much she liked it when he was just as casual and confident when he removed his clothes, having accepted the fact that she adored his body, slenderness and all. As predicted, Astrid watched him, biting her lip with pleasure as he pulled his own clothes off, exposing his solid erection to her as he finished, kicking out of his pants. He went back over to the bed and sat down, sliding back against his bed's headboard. He got comfortable and smiled half-liddedly at her, patting his thigh invitingly, before wrapping his hand around his length and stroking himself a little in a completely suggestive manner.

Astrid shuddered and felt great desire pulse hotly between her legs at the invitation. She smiled saucily at him and sauntered over, crawling over the bed to sit on his lap, resting up against his erection. "So are you still sore from the games?" she asked curiously, leaning over to kiss his broad jaw, gingerly scratching the very light scruff she found there.

Hiccup's eyes shut in pleasure for a second and slid his hands over her hips, dragging his finger tips down to her legs. "I was able to get some ice on me and some good rest. I'm all better now," he promised.

Astrid grinned simply and leaned over to kiss him, her tongue working him into a dizzying frenzy. Astrid moaned softly at the little nibble he gave her bottom lip and pressed into his erection again, grinding a little and earning a soft groan from him. With a slight pant and a dark blush, Hiccup pulled away slightly. "If having you with me is the prize I get for winning, I'm going to try extra hard each year..." he murmured.

Astrid laughed and stroked his face delicately. "Good, I like it when you put in effort," she cooed. She the leaned back away from him and placed her hand on his chest, signaling for him to stay put. Hiccup's brow rose with interest but obeyed. His eyes widened and he moaned lightly when she smiled slyly and wrapped her hand around his cock, rubbing it gently, making him shudder and pant. "How long do you think it'll be until your dad wakes up after a night of celebrating?"

Hiccup struggled to concentrate on his words. "He... usually... uuh..." his eyes rolled a little when she rubbed the tip of his length then. "Usually... he doesn't wake until... early aftern-noon... the next day..." he groaned again.

Astrid grinned again. "Good," she smirked, then pulled her hand away and slid down his body, settling herself between his legs and getting comfortable. Hiccup watched with heart-pounding anticipation as she very lightly kissed his rigid erection, slowly and lovingly. Astrid smiled when her boyfriend fell back against the headboard with an excited moan. "Tonight is your night, babe," she said in a husky tone, gently pushing him back against the headboard.

Hiccup shuddered and his head fell back, feeling her warm, wet lips wrap around the head of his cock. " _F-Freyja_..." he moaned, biting his lip hard, chest rising and falling quickly with his labored breathing, pleasure shooting through him like a smoldering blaze through his veins.

Astrid smiled against him, feeling him trembling and whimpering as she really got going, tilting her head a little to take more of him in, making sure to drag her tongue along his sensitive skin. Hiccup gripped the edges of his bed hard, twisting and panting where he sat, trying very hard not to shout to the heavens as she did everything she knew how to render his attempts useless. She was at his disposal tonight, listening to every whine and request, giving him everything he asked for.

Smiled against him again, she reached over then to rhythmically massage his balls, tenderly squeezing and kneading them in her hand as she slid her other hand under his thigh, pushing him up further, encouraging him to thrust up and down with each dip of her mouth. " _Mmnng_!" Hiccup growled, trying to keep silent, trying to keep his hips from violently jerking into her as he braced his feet on either side of her, pumping his hips gently.

Astrid appreciated his efforts to be gentle, happily using his thrusting to her advantage, taking in more of his cock with each rush upwards, inch by inch. By now she had learned how to breathe and was proud of how much pleasure she could bring him by doing this for him. She hummed against him, sultry purrs of pleasure, just like he did for her when he went down on her and got a similar reaction. Hiccup cried out and nearly crushed his head back against the wall behind his bed. "A-Astrid!" he cried desperately, turning red from his efforts to not holler into the night. Astrid grinned and stroked his thighs affectionately, then slid her hand over him.

" _Uhh_..!" Hiccup gasped, straining more as she began twisting her fist gently at the base of his length, her lips still firmly dragging up and down, suckling hard. "Ast...rid I... _Ast-Astrid_..! I'm-I'm going to..!" he clenched his teeth tightly, moaning through them as he felt himself swell to the point he couldn't hold it back anymore. " _Astrid.._!" he cried, choking and gasping, barely managing to stop himself from howling. Hiccup shuddered deeply, gasping for breath, then felt her tap his thigh and made him look back at her.

Hiccup whimpered as he watched her shut her eyes with desire, moaning softly, letting him feel the vibration running down his throbbing shaft as she took in his seed. He felt her tongue stroking as she greedily swallowed, lapping at him up sensually and he exalted the gods for her. " _Astrid_... oh _Thor_... Astrid..!" he whined and praised her, shivering in pleasure as he finished.

Astrid kept him steady and stayed where she was, mouth locked snugly over him until he didn't have more to give. Once he was done, Astrid pulled very delicately away, letting her hot tongue slide over him as she pulled him out of her mouth. Hiccup watched with his lips slightly parted, dazed and awed. Astrid leaned back and smiled, her eyes swimming with her love for him, and then climbed onto his lap, straddling him again.

"We're just getting started, babe. Ready for the next... event?" she asked in a low, seductive tone, stroking the sensitive spot on one of his ears tenderly, her other hand caressing him again. Hiccup shuddered and whimpered excitedly where he rested, his hands twitching eagerly, now sliding over her hips.

Yes, sometimes winning graciously was definitely as good as losing graciously, and that night, Astrid made sure to _reward_ him _well_ for it.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Yay! Thawfest! I thought Hiccup deserved his own chapter lol and I couldn't resist writing in Thawfest with his improved physique! I probably exaggerated it a little, but oh well. And Hiccup won legitimately this time! Woo! His reward for being a good sport was definitely better and much more than a kiss this time, haha! This chapter originally wasn't really meant to be a smutty one, which is why the sexy scene is so short, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Mia:** YES! Thank you! Lol! So inappropriate but it has to happen! I'll give them all of my wallet moths for it, haha! Writing Hiccup being naughty is a little bit too much fun lol._

 _ **OechsnerC:** Thanks!_

 _ **1993:** You ask, I deliver lol._

 _ **M3CH3RZ:** Thank you! I appreciate the kind words!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Happy birthday again! Glad you liked it!_

 _ **Me:** I know, which is why I laughed lol._

 _ **Person:** Yay smut! Thank you and I agree about the modern AU stuff. I do intend on writing more in the future._

 _ **wikelia:** Hiccup won't be pushed around anymore lol. I have a feeling she likes it when he gets her back like that, risky and sexy._

 _ **The bitch:** Lol it would be amusing! Maybe in a separate story._

 _ **TheDragonsKnight:** It makes me happy to hear that lol._

 _ **Holly0225:** They're fantastic and a lot of fun to write! I laugh every time they're on screen lol._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"Dreams (2am)" by Kye Kye._

* * *

It had been two weeks since the Thaw Festival.

The weeks after the festival were long and busy, filled with efforts to put the village back together from all the efforts to withstand the harsh winter. Barricades were pulled down, Thawfest decorations were dismantled, and precautions were made in case a fluke, freak storm decided to make one last go at them. Everyone worked to return Berk to normal, to tune it to the milder weather again and replant harvests lost to the snow. Days went by that way, fixing winter-damaged homes, redistributing supplies, and herding the animals back out into the fields.

All the work left Astrid and Hiccup without any chance to be together. The most they have been able to do was about the most innocent little acts, holding hands a little in the Great Hall, sharing a little kiss in between tasks, and sending each other longing smiles. Most evenings the work left them dead tired and they would pass out before they had a chance to entertain any thought of being more involved with each other. The long period of time since being in each others arms that night was beginning to put a strain on them again, frustrated that they could barely even give each other hugs. If they could at least take a moment to just rest in each other arms a little, it would decrease the tension considerably, but they hadn't even been able to do that much.

That day had been just like the rest, but finally, it seemed as though things were starting to settle. Less demands and requests were made, less inventory to sort, less crops and livestock to deal with. It had worn down enough that Gobber had jumped to the opportunity to wrangle Hiccup into work again, claiming he needed his tinkering expertise to work on customizing saddles and weapons. Hiccup didn't mind, as it was a change from all the little tasks his dad sent him on as future chief.

Astrid had spent that day helping her father refit ships at the docks after some of them suffered a bit of damage from the frost and ice, the few that weren't properly protected that winter. Normally that sort of thing wouldn't have happened, but the winter storms usually arrived very quick and with everything it had there, so mistakes were made. When she was finished that afternoon, she decided against going out to train and went over to one of her favorite spot to relax instead. Conveniently enough, it so happened to be the forge. "'Afternoon, Astrid," Gobber greeted her as usual, replacing a broken tooth on a Monstrous Nightmare with a carefully carved stone replacement. "You know, we may just have to start charging you for the show we give you," he said, glancing over and smiling fondly.

"Hey there, Gobber," Astrid grinned back at him, then carefully sat on _her_ table. "And please, I'm a good luck charm and you know it," she laughed softly.

Gobber chuckled as he scratched the Nightmare under the chin and sent her on her way. "Oh of course, Astrid..." he snorted teasingly.

Astrid smiled and went through her routine of looking around the shop before her eyes landed on the other blacksmith there. She settled back on her seat, watching Hiccup hammer a nail into a bit of leather on a saddle he was tweaking. He was so engrossed in his work that it was almost like he hadn't even noticed her stop by. Then again, she was such a frequent visitor, it really wouldn't surprise him at all anyway. "Did you ever figure out what was making that squeak on Toothless' saddle?" she asked him after a bit.

Without looking over at her, Hiccup answered, proving to her that he had been aware but wasn't the least bit surprised. "Yeah. Turns out the metal of my leg was scraping against the suspender buckle, making it grind against its own support. I made an adjustment to it so it doesn't rub up against the buckle anymore," he explained idly, taking a bit of a step back to study the tweak he was making at a different angle.

They way he moved let Astrid catch sight of something that interested her a little. In many places along his arms and sides his tunic was stretched and even torn. It seemed it was time for a new one again. "Your shirt is falling apart," she mentioned idly.

Hiccup didn't even bother looking at his clothes. "Yeah, must of happened during the games or something," he shrugged.

Astrid grinned when a little idea formed in her head. "Well you know... you could always just work shirtless, if you wanted to, I'm sure _no one_ would mind..." she grinned wickedly.

It was true, any woman in the vicinity wouldn't mind the sight. Hiccup might not have been as beefy as most men there, but he wasn't a frail little toothpick anymore either, and what he did have was an elegance and grace that was difficult to ignore. Maybe it was because of how different he was, how trim and wiry his figure was, so unlike the men the women were used to. It was true that when he was younger he was clumsy and weak, but that was well in the past and erased from the minds of everyone after he had so selflessly defended his village. What made it even better was that Hiccup didn't even realize, or at least didn't accept how attractive he was becoming and didn't flaunt it. Instead, his qualities were displayed in natural ways from him, hard work and a lot of effort put into it. If all the hard labor made him sweat and stick his clothes to him attractively, all the better.

Hiccup flushed and glanced over to make sure Gobber wasn't close enough to hear them. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he mumbled dryly.

Astrid shrugged, then smirked with another idea. "What do _you_ think, babe..?" she asked suggestively, tapping at the table, trying to catch his attention.

Hiccup glanced up and the shield-maiden made a show of spreading her legs, rubbing her thigh subtly and licking her lips. Hiccup gaped for a second, his cock almost instantly stirring in his pants at the enticing sight... but unfortunately for him, his loss of concentration made his grip on his hammer go slack, right along with his jaw, and the tool fell right onto his remaining foot. "Thor damn it!" Hiccup yelped in pain, wabbling on his prosthetic and grabbing his foot.

Gobber jerked around when he heard the commotion and found Astrid laughing quite spiritedly while Hiccup hopped around. "Hey, what are you doing? Quit fool'n around boy and get back to work," he grunted.

Astrid tried to control her laughter. "Yeah Hiccup, quit _fooling around_ ," she giggled, grinning when Hiccup groaned in exasperation. Gobber raised a brow but shook his head and turned back to his work, deciding it was safer not knowing. Hiccup shot his girlfriend a glower. She bit her lip to keep herself from going on, not wanting to distract him _too_ much from his work. Deciding it might be a good idea to get in some training after all, Astrid got up. She placed a hand on his arm and their eyes met for a second. That was about as close to a kiss or a hug as they could get in public. With that she left to the woods, stopping by her house to grab her axe.

As soon as she got to the edge of the woods, Astrid took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders and began to run. Every branch, ever root, and every tree in her path was an enemy rushing out to get her. Gripping the handle of her axe tightly, she sharpened her focus and swung with practiced precision, twisting her body in a wide arc, slicing her way through the brush.

The shield-maiden tempered her breathing, every two steps breathing in and out evenly. She launched herself over boulders, rolling and throwing her axe at pre-painted targets, hearing that satisfied thud of victory as she hit them. She ran over and yanked the weapon out, but didn't stop, pushing herself into another roll and throwing again, hitting another target across the way. Astrid had long ago set up almost inconspicuous targets along her favorite trail, marking them in a way that wouldn't be inherently noticeable and would force her to focus and take in every detail.

When she got ever target she set out to train her body, running, sprinting, jumping and climbing her way through the thick forest. When she was finished, a few hours later, she went over to her favorite creek and peeled her clothes off. Normally Vikings didn't see much point in bathing regularly, since they would only get dirty again almost instantly with all the hard work they put in a day, so they generally reserved it for once or twice a week.

Astrid enjoyed the feel of all the grime and sweat washing off after a hard day though, and made it a habit to wash up after a good training session. Once she was finished, she got her things together and set back out to town, intending on catching Hiccup after work for their habitual good night kiss. She was glad he was finally initiating most of the kisses lately, but he was still not initiating much more than that, which just annoyed her.

When she slipped into the forge again, she noticed that Gobber had already left and Hiccup had his back to her, wiping sweat off his face and neck with a rag. She watched him bend his arm and stretch a little, the muscles on his back shifting under the now entirely too small tunic. Astrid bit her lip, enjoying the sight. Unable to help herself from teasing him, Astrid crept quietly over to him, relying on the stealth she developed over months of sneaking around with him to help her. And actual training, _of course_. She slipped behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle, amused when he didn't even gasp in surprise this time, so used to her presence that he just rolled with it.

Hiccup remained still, head tilted back a little. "Astrid," he sighed in what sounded like relief.

"Expecting anyone else?" she asked playfully. "Gobber maybe?" she snickered.

Hiccup snorted. "Ugh, oh definitely," he said sarcastically and chuckled at the cute giggle that escaped her again.

Astrid made a face at the image it created in her own mind and gagged. "Is that so?" she laughed. "Well, would the old man do this?" she asked and leaned against him more, pressing her breasts against his back and lifted herself up a little on her toes to nibble on his earlobe.

Hiccup hummed in pleasure. "N-No... no... _thank the gods_ he wouldn't..." he sighed again, eyes fluttering shut. Astrid's hands trailed over him, feeling herself get a little intoxicated by him. She pulled away a little to lick the sweat off his neck, sliding a hand under his tunic to trace over his now enticing abs, playing with the fine little hairs trailing over his stomach. Hiccup moaned in desire and then spun around and crushed his lips to hers.

Astrid gasped a little in surprise, immediately returning the kiss when he took advantage of her parted lips. They took gasping breaths between movements of their mouths as they pressed against one of the far walls, hands tracing every inch of each other. Sometimes their good night kisses were chaste, sweet presses of their lips... other times they made love to each others mouths with a desperation that often led to more. This was one such time. As soon as they pulled away from the kiss for breath, Astrid found herself being gently tugged toward his workshop. "Will you join me..?" he asked in a hopeful tone, walking backwards, pulling her along with him.

Astrid grinned at the question. The request to join him had come about after she had accidentally caught him pleasuring himself once, a few weeks after their second time together. He had been in his shop late one night, sitting on his stool in deep concentration, panting and red-faced. Astrid hadn't seen much of him that week and went over to see if he was still there when she didn't find him at home. She had only wanted to see if he'd go flying with her, but when she walked into the workshop, she found him sitting there, his pants down to his knees, cover pulled off, and bent over, moaning as he handled himself. Astrid had stared, transfixed, feeling her blood rush, heated need pooling between her legs. She watched his large hand slide up and down his length and couldn't stop the little moan of desire from leaving her.

When he noticed her then, she had expected him to dissolve into a panicked, shy state, much like he might have a few years ago... but to her surprise and arousal, he had continued on pumping, panting as he stroked his swollen erection, eyes fixed on hers. And then, with a voice laced with lust, he asked if she'd join him.

Of course, nothing in the world would have been able to stop her from doing so. He had stopped only then so he wouldn't go off, watching her shut the door and lock it. She turned on him then, pupils black, slid out of her leggings and binding before crawling onto his lap. She had impaled herself onto him in an instant and they had worked themselves into a panting, moaning frenzy, making that night memorable for both of them. Since then it had almost been like a code between them, his way of asking her to bed with him.

The tension between them had been getting bad, but Astrid was in one of those moods, half amused and half frustrated. Like she had done a few times already, she wanted to see what it took for him to snap and finally do something about it. And so she slipped her hand from him, smiling reassuringly and winked. "Not tonight, babe." she said, her eyes swimming with mischief, concealing her own frustration, before dancing out of his grasp and making her way out, being sure to sway her hips. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was that she was getting tired of his hesitance. She understood caution, and also understood he was naturally more gentle and thoughtful, but she felt like he was holding himself back and it continued to irritate her, thus she relieved it by messing with him, in hopes he'd figure it out and take the bait.

Hiccup gaped incredulously, completely and painfully hard by now and left dry. He groaned in frustration and finished closing up shop before storming home, annoyed with her. It was times like that he just wanted to grab her, throw her over his shoulder like a barbarian and drag her to his workshop kicking and screaming to relieve his stress and need on her for cockblocking him so much. Part of him sort of understood that it was kind of what she wanted him to do anyway, but he didn't feel like that was the type of person he was. He knew she was doing it on purpose to try to provoke him, coax him out of his comfort zone, and it was driving him insane. He wasn't sure how much leading on he could take.

The next day the riders met up at the academy again for a refresher since their last training since winter. As soon as Astrid walked in and sat down in her seat, she felt something off, though at this point familiar. Glancing up, she saw a calculated look on Hiccup's face as he jotted down a few notes on the board. "Do we _have_ to go over this stuff again?" Snotlout sighed impatiently.

"Well let's see, shall we? Ruffnut, how many shots does a Gronckle have again?" Hiccup asked, turning to the twins.

"Three!" Ruffnut grinned.

"Nope," Hiccup shook his head. "You give that answer every time I ask, and it's not going to change just because you want it to."

"Hmm, five..?" the female twin guessed.

"Ten!" Tuffnut shouted, not even bothering to actually try to remember but wanting to participate.

"Six," Hiccup told them. "Snotlout if you guys can't remember the most basic things, how am I going to trust you guys to remember more advanced tactics and formations?" he asked his cousin.

"Whatever..." the shorter teen huffed.

"Alright, let's get started then," Hiccup nodded, taking a second to pour all of his frustration and intent to a single glance at his girlfriend, feeling a small bit of satisfaction when she squirmed slightly in her seat. Hiccup decided he was done letting her get away with messing with him, and wanted to pay her back, much like he had during the winter. He set off to try to distract her while they went over lessons. He knew well by now what drove her crazy, so he went about to use it to his advantage.

Hiccup called on her name to answer questions a few times, being sure to give her smoldering looks, making a subtle had gesture while the others weren't looking, wiggling his middle finger. Astrid shifted in her seat again, understanding the meaning. He then leaned against the board and pushed his hips out a little, making her eyes flick down for a second. She looked back up and saw the smirk on his lips. Astrid reigned in her irritation and answered the questions, glaring at him for being so obvious and ignored the confused looks from everyone else.

Later on, Astrid had expected Hiccup to do more, but he didn't, and she had to wonder what he was planning, hoping that night hadn't been a fluke and he'd finally find his balls for good. As it happened, she'd soon get a taste of her own medicine when the the twins decided to play a prank on Sven. They had painted his entire flock black. Understandably so, Sven had chased them around Berk and yelled at them to clean them up. When they wouldn't, he went to complain to Stoick. The twins couldn't deny a direct order from the chief, no matter how much they hated to clean.

Unfortunately for everyone else, Stoick made them _all_ wash the sheep. "But sir! Why do _I_ have to clean? It's not like I had any hand in it..." Snotlout complained.

Stoick's brow rose and his cheek twitched in irritation. "Well, Snotlout, I'll tell you why. I was simply going to ask you to do so, but now that you chose to question me, it's an _order_. _That_ is why," he told him with narrowed eyes.

"Uh- y-yes-sir..." Snotlout's head ducked submissively.

"Don't worry dad, we'll take care of it," Hiccup assured him, glancing at Fishlegs and Astrid who nodded reluctantly.

Stoick nodded back in approval. "Good. See that you do."

Once again, Astrid had to wonder why Hiccup was so at ease with everything but couldn't think about it at the moment. As soon as they got to the field and saw all the sheep, dripping with _expensive_ black squid ink paint, the shield-maiden walked over and smacked the twins across the head. "You two really outdid yourselves this time!" she growled.

"Why thank you, Astrid!" Tuffnut beamed.

"That was _not_ a compliment," Astrid scoffed. "This was one of your more foolish stunts, and now look what you got us _all_ into?"

Twins complained predictably. "But _Astrid_!" Tuffnut began.

"It's our lot in life to cause mayhem and have fun doing so!" Ruffnut finished.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "It's more like your lot in life to be forced to clean up all your messes all the time." The twins scowled.

Hiccup rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was already stressing out from other frustrations, he didn't need to hear them complaining on top of it. Maybe if he had gotten a good nights rest last night, he wouldn't have been so ticked off. "Will you guys just go and pick a sheep and start cleaning?" he said, holding back from barking at them. Even so, they seemed to pick up on his irritation and gave him their attention. "Sven put out buckets and Gothi's soap to help us. Come on, the quicker we do this, the sooner we can get it over with." Maybe it was because they feared he'd dish out further cleaning jobs as he tended to do when he was agitated, but they stopped complaining and began to do as they were told.

The wool needed to be cleaned delicately so that it could be sheered and used properly. Wool was one of Berk's major trading goods, along with mead. Sven's wool was one of the reasons Berk usually didn't need much help from the other clans or had much want for anything, so it was a grave injury not just to his property, but to Berk as well.

Hiccup decided this would be the perfect chance to continue to get back at Astrid for flustering him so badly yesterday. In fact, it was also an excellent opportunity to make a persuasive attempt on her, to get her to cave in and help him scratch that restless itch she kept on making worse. He wanted her like he had never wanted anything in his life, so he would try to convince her to be with him, even if it got his ass kicked by her. He knew he had the ability to fluster her, so as they set off to wash the sheep, he set his plan in motion.

As they got to work on the mess the twins made, Astrid was both curious and exasperated when Hiccup began working alongside her. At first things seemed normal, but she kept a wary eye on him. He didn't look at her, seemed focused on his task... but that didn't last. Every now and then, he would "accidentally" touch her subtly when they knelt down to pick up a sheep, apologizing in a completely false way, saying he didn't know she was going for the same one. He would then proceed to slide to her other side to get to a different sheep, dragging his hand slowly over her waist as he moved passed her. Astrid would still, close her eyes and take a shuddering breath, but attempt to ignore him and go on with her own task.

He grabbed another sheep after his last now not so subtle attempt to fluster her. He must have waited for just the second she moved her arm out, because as soon as she went to reach for some soap, his hand slipped over hers, fingers caressing her knuckles, making the hairs on her arm stand up at the stroke, sending little shivers through her at the simple touch. "Oops, look at that, we went for the same bar of soap," he smiled. "What a coincidence!" he laughed in a mock version of his nervous chuckle.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Sure, quite the _coincidence_."

They got to work again and as they brought their sheep over to the ones that were sitting on the grass to dry, he took the opportunity of the proximity he had to her to lean against her, standing very close. He bumped his hips subtly against her as he moved to place his sheep down, blows on her neck. "Uuh... _ooh_... A-Astrid..." he moaned weakly into her ear, earning a little gasp and shudder from her. He pulled away quickly when she whipped around to him, and grinned, shrugging before turning, heading back to another sheep. Astrid huffed in both excitement and frustration and went on back with another sheep as well.

When Hiccup finished cleaning that sheep quickly, he moved past her to get another, pressing gently over her neck as he passed her, letting his hand trail down. Astrid took deep breaths, trying not to let him get to her. Throughout the afternoon it was all like that with him doing everything he can think of to try and seduce her and with Astrid trying not to throw him down in front of everyone. Astrid's heart was racing the entire day, since that morning with the lessons, and then now with the sheep thing, salacious desire throbbing angrily between her thighs. Gods, she really had created a monster, and she couldn't deny how much she loved it.

Finally the sheep were all cleaned and the group watched the twins get berated by Sven in amusement. On their way back to the main part of Berk, Hiccup made sure to keep up his not so subtle and intentional attacks on her, touching her, bumping into her, moaning in her ear. By the end of the day Astrid was overcome with desire and frustration, knowing his goal was to get her hot and bothered for him again, get her back for flustering him the previous day, the sneaky bastard. Well, she had basically asked for it anyway, and she might as well scratch his and now her own itch.

That night, she waited until he wasn't near anyone and literally pulled him into the storehouse with her. "Alright, what do you want?" she asked him curiously, fists resting on her hips.

Hiccup blinked and blushed just a little, grinning. "You," he said simply.

Astrid smiled back, eyes half-closed. "If you want me, take me," she told him firmly. Astrid felt a thrill go through her when Hiccup walked her into a corner, against a wall... but then he stalled again, hesitating to just take her like she encouraged him to. Frustrated, Astrid leveled him with a look. "Hiccup, to be honest, sometimes I feel like I'm being courted by an inexperienced boy, not by a man who knows his own desires," she told him quietly, trying not to hurt his feelings but at the same time trying to make him understand.

His pride taking a hit to that, Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I'll do better," he promised her, then pushed her harder against the wall, earning an interested grin from her. He took a breath to steady himself, then slid one hand up her shirt to pinch and rub her nipple, the other slipping under skirt and leggings, pushing past her binding. Astrid's breath hitched, pulling herself closer to him, feeling his fingers dig past her folds to rub her clit gently and persistently, trying to get her worked up. Astrid hummed in pleasure, pushing a leg up his hips to give him better access.

Hiccup leaned into her. "Astrid..." he moaned into her ear. "Milady... you've been driving me so crazy," he murmured, whispering how much he wanted her, how much he needed her, his skillful fingers never stopping, knowing right where to push, in just the right angle, grinning when his efforts got her nice and wet. Astrid squirmed in his hold, panting softly, her grip tightening. Hiccup smiled and used her arousal to his advantage, rubbing his now slick finger faster, pressing into her clit with each swipe until she began moaning continually and trembling in his hold. Astrid reaches between them and fiddled with his pant laces, completely giving in to her desire for him.

Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be. Just as she managed to pull his breaches open, they heard sounds of talking and footsteps getting closer. Fortunately, it served to warn them that there were people coming in. They pulled away quickly and jumped behind some barrels, Hiccup landing on top of her, all by straddling her, close to the ground so they wouldn't be noticed. Hiccup groaned, exasperated by the position they were now in, so easy to fool around with him straddling her, and yet so easy to make a mistake and be discovered. There were two Viking that stepped inside and it sounded like Mulch and Bucket, _again_. The two stood at the door of the storehouse, with Mulch trying to explain something to Bucket.

Still lying on top of her, Hiccup decides he wasn't done getting her back and would take Astrid's suggestion to heart. With a devilish gleam in his eyes that made Astrid's eyes widen, his hand slipped back to where it had been. "Hiccup, Hiccup, stop, don't do it!" she hissed at him. Hiccup merely smirked at her panicked look as he began to curl his finger through her still soaked slit, instantly finding her clit again. "Oh gods, no..." she squeaked. Hiccup knew his timing was very bad sometimes, but he loved keeping her on her toes. "Thor damn it, not again!" she whined, feeling his wicked finger sliding back and forth, setting her on fire. "Hiccup... _Hic_..! _Hiccup_ , we'll be.. disco _vered_..!" she gasped, eyes rolling slightly as the hot pleasure made her pulse angrily. "Do y-you... want my dad to... find us..?" she moaned. " _Haa_..!" she jerked when he flicked her clit rapidly then.

Hiccup huffed in frustration. "Wasn't this what you wanted? You wanted me to take you, didn't you? Well I can't really do so if you're dry, now can I? So this is me getting you ready for me..." he grinned, knowing his words would make her hotter for him.

"Hiccup..." Astrid groaned, clenching her teeth. "Th-This isn't... what I meant..!" she panted. Even if she wanted to shove him off her, it would only get them caught if she did.

Hiccup wiggled his fingers against her clit, squeezing down gently, making her have to hide her cries against his shoulder, a little orgasm rushing hotly through her, making her pulsate harder with unresolved desire. "I'm just making you nice and slick so I can slide right in," he whispered against her ear. "You want it, I know you do..." he murmured strategically, smiling when she whimpered in response. His finger slipped over her and quickly found her entrance, squeezing the digit in swiftly.

Astrid felt a tendril of anxiety go through her, recognizing the tone in his voice and his deliberate actions, knowing he would make it very difficult for her to stay silent. "Hiccup, stop," she told him firmly, resting her hand over his before he could start rubbing her clit again.

In an instant he obeyed, his hand stilling, knowing when she honestly didn't want him to continue. "Are you sure..?" he asked, knowing he had gotten her close to the edge.

Astrid took shuddering breaths, eyes shut tight, trying to concentrate when he withdrew his hand. "Y-Yes," she said in a strained voice. "You know how you get me. I'll attract too much attention." She looked at him, noticing the frustrated look on his own face then and sighed. "Hiccup, to answer your question, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind either. What I want is for you to not hesitate so much when we're together, initiate it, don't just play around."

Hiccup flushed and frowned thoughtfully. "What do you mean? I thought you liked it when I tried to be romantic?"

Astrid sighed again and nodded to him. "I _love_ when you're being sweet and gentle, and I love that you let me go at my own pace too, but sometimes I wish you would go at _your_ pace too, sometimes you are too shy. I won't be upset with you if you start it, pull my clothes off and have you way with me," she winked. "It's okay to be a little rough sometimes."

Hiccup relaxed and nodded, thoughtful expression still in place. "I'll try harder next time," he assured her. Astrid shivered and grinned, knowing he would. They waited a little longer but the men didn't leave for a while. They started to doze off and when they finally _did_ go, they were too tired to carry on with what they had started earlier. Knowing it would be too suspicious to show up to dinner with their parents too late, the reluctantly separated. As she got home, Astrid was beyond frustrated, irritated that he had flustered her so badly that day and they didn't even get to do anything about it... but sometimes you just had to accept the cards you were dealt.

A few days later, they still hadn't had a chance to get together yet and Astrid was still wound up tight from when he had tormented her the other day. Her desire for him was made so much worse however, when Hiccup stepped out of his house that morning wearing an achingly familiar red tunic beneath his armor, finally replacing that torn up tunic he had been wearing before. Astrid lost her breath and nearly collapsed at the sight, overcome with a rush of memories and a longing so deep it hurt, making her hand press against her chest in a weak attempt to control her racing heart.

A long ago scar in her heart tore open, seeing him... seeing _him_ , they were catching up, he was... he looked like the man she had fallen so hard for, and continued to fall for each day. The longing in her heart and the love that rushed through her for him made her have to take a moment to calm down, tears stinging her eyes at all the sorrow she had felt when she thought she had lost him years ago... but he was there, he had always _been_ there. He wasn't two people, she knew that, but it still didn't stop the sudden and sharp longing from making it difficult to breathe.

Hiccup was, of course, completely oblivious to her reactions. "Good morning, Astrid! What do you think? I thought it was time to make myself a new tunic, like it?" he asked with a happy smile. Astrid could only manage to smile weakly and to nod. The walk over to the academy was silent and Hiccup felt a little curious, wondering if something was wrong, and decided to pause in their little back and forth flustering game that had been going on pretty much the whole week. During drills Astrid was still completely distracted. Hiccup noticed and tried to get her to focus, snap out of her daze. He wasn't even trying to fluster her this time! When Astrid didn't show up at all the rest of the day, not even for their evening kissing at the forge, it got him in a very concerned state.

That night, Astrid surprised him when he was headed home, walking up to him. "Hiccup, ...will you follow me?" she asked him and he noticed the odd look in her eyes, almost like a cross between hurting and longing.

"Of course," Hiccup said readily, very curious to know what was wrong and followed her down to the docks. He raised a brow when she opened the door to the warehouse, now clear of people.

Astrid turned and shuffled her feet a little. "I uh, sort of 'borrowed' my dad's key to the warehouse," she explained with a sheepishly smile, and led him in. Hiccup nodded in understanding and continued to eagerly follow, letting her lead him to the back, worried, but at the same time still very much needing her. She turned then and grabbed him by his armor, pulling him down, kissing him hard, tugging him further in, desperate for him in ways she hadn't ever been.

Hiccup sensed the desperation and felt both parts concerned and excited. "Astrid, what-" he tried to ask what was wrong, but she pulled him back to the kiss, her way of letting him know that now was not the time to talk. Figuring she would open up and explain it to him when she was ready, he decided to accept it and carried on.

When they got to a hidden corner, he started to unbuckle his armor. "Wait," she said, pulling from the kiss this time, her hands over his, stilling his actions. "Don't. Keep the armor on," she requested, her tone bordering on pleading. Hiccup still wasn't sure what was going on, but didn't deny her request. After she shimmied off her skirt and leggings, kicking them aside, she hopped into his arms, letting him catch her as she straddled his hips, legs tight around him. Hiccup held her up and pressed her against the wall, now completely hidden from any form of view. He pulled her binding off and opened his pants, letting it fall to his ankles. He quickly removed his own covering with on hand, then angled her a little better for a better reach. Then kept her still.

Astrid hiked a brow up when he stopped. "What's with the... _hold up_?" she asked, her smirk a little weaker than it could be at the cheesy pun.

Hiccup stared at her for a second, tempted to ask her again if she was alright, but knew she wouldn't answer him at the moment. Whatever was going on, it was clear to him that she was working through it and needed him to help her in other ways. It wasn't often Astrid used sex to escape from a problem, but in this case, it was almost like _he_ was the problem and their being together would be the solution. That's what it seemed like to him anyway, so who was he to deny it?

Deciding he could be of further pleasure to her, he felt now would be a good time to work out the other frustration in him she had been having. "I remembered what you suggested before, that you sometimes felt like you were with a boy, not a man. You know, Astrid, that wasn't a very nice thing to say..." he told her, pressing his firm arousal hard against her thigh.

Astrid shuddered pleasantly at the feeling and smiled a little, figuring she could spur him on a little more. "You might not be dominant enough to handle me... you're more of a boy than anything else most of the time, after all, you still need to prove you're Viking enough," she told him, knowing it would sting his pride, but hopefully it would awaken that side of him. To her delight and exasperation, it did just that.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. He knew she was baiting him, but what she said still offended him. Fine, if that's how she wanted to play, he could play. He grabbed her legs and tightened them around him, locking her in place, then promptly shoved her down onto his erection hard, making her gasp in surprise, penetrating her in one swift move. " _Oh gods_!" Astrid cried, not expecting such a rushed insertion.

Then he surprised her again by grabbing her wrists and pinning them to the wall on either side of her. With her trapped against the wall between it and his body, he began to work, thrusting hard and swift, bouncing her up and down, not letting her have a say in it. His buckle dug into her stomach with each rush up of his hips, but the sweet sweet friction from his hip bone digging into her aching clit and the feel of his swollen shaft filling her after so long without him made her hazy brain not notice it at all. Astrid felt sharp, heady pleasure shoot through her, making her let out rapid cries each time he sheathed completely in. She had a sudden flash of deja vu go through her then, remembering something similar happening once upon a time, maybe with simple grinding then, but unable to place it.

Moaning in need, feeling him swell wide inside her, she tried desperately to meet his thrusts with hers, but he wouldn't have any of it. Hiccup pushed her against the wall with his hips then, holding still, his throbbing cock held firmly inside her. Astrid whine in pleasure, shuddering as her walls fluttered slightly, then huffed in agitation. Hiccup's eyes fixed on hers, his intense stare making her bite her lip with further desire. "You wanted me to be more dominant, be more of a Viking, well this is what it looks like," he growled.

Astrid was delighted but put on a show, growling in retaliation. "I may want you to be more dominant, but I'm still not some soft wench, you know," she reminded him.

Hiccup knew she liked it, but played along. "Of course not..." he murmured, then ground hard into her, letting his burning shaft inside her bottom out. Astrid threw her head back and moaned breathlessly, panting as she was instant brought to the peak of her climax, but not quite over it. Hiccup grunted and shuddered with harsh desire. "Y-You're... a... fierce warrior that can make me squeal, but right now I need to prove to you that so am I and I can do the same," he told her.

Astrid groaned in pleasure at his words, but then snickered. "You know you just called yourself a shield-maiden, right? That would certainly explain some things," she teased, finally feeling a little bit more like herself now. Leave it to Hiccup and his unintentional adorableness, even in the act of hot sex, to make her feel better. Oh Astrid knew well she was being unnecessarily mean, but he needed to toughen up. Fortunately, Astrid wasn't so bad with words either and they had the desired effect.

Hiccup growled in frustration, even though his eyes danced with amusement, gripped her tighter. "You're playing on thin ice, milady," he grunted.

Astrid huffed out a short laugh. "Am I n- _aah_..!" her smartass reply was swiftly turned into moans of drowning need as he abruptly began to move again, plowing into her hard, grunting with each forceful thrust. It was almost painful, the force of his thrusts were aggressive, but gods in Valhala, this was just what she had been craving from him, delicious assertiveness and the pleasure was so much stronger than whatever pain this might cause.

Astrid held tightly, whining and twisting urgently against him, her thighs soaked and trembling. Even as he almost brutally fucked her, his thumbs caress her wrists delicately, letting her know he wasn't actually upset. Astrid felt her toes go numb with pleasure. Lips parted, eyes rolled back, squeezing, rending, angry throbbing making her arch back, letting out panting moans with each shove, her senses overwhelmed by him, crying his name.

They went off virtually at the same time this time, and he released her wrists. Astrid cried out as her walls spasmed viciously and clenched tight around his still rocking length. She collapsed slightly, continuous shudders of intoxicating pleasure rushing through her as she went limp against him, shaking all over as he let himself get carried away. Her breathless cries were hidden in his armor, leaning fully on him for support, limbs loosely hanging over him.

" _Uhh_... Astrid..!" Hiccup whined in her ear, making her moan hoarsely in response, feeling his burning cock throb inside her as he flushed her with his hot sperm, his wild thrusting stopping and holding her still. Astrid whimpered in pleasure, her still shaking legs tightening around him then, locking him firmly in place, trapping him inside her. Hiccup stayed where he was until he was good and finished. Astrid's eyes shut blissfully at the profoundly connected feeling. It had been much too long since their last time.

As they relaxed, still against the wall, they sighed in relief. Astrid stroked his scalp lovingly, feeling more relieved then than she had felt for a long while, both in body and in heart. Hiccup lifted his head and gazed at her curiously. "Is this... what you wanted... from me..?" he asked breathlessly.

Astrid took a moment to calm down, then nodded. "Yes, yes it was," she smiled.

Hiccup tilted his head in question. "Why are you always trying so hard to get me to be so aggressive?" he asked.

Astrid thought for a moment. "I like seeing that side of you, so unlike how you normally are. It's thrilling," she admitted.

Hiccup grinned, pleased with her answer. "I'll take that to heart then," he smiled

Astrid laughed softly. "I know you will, you have an excellent mind, after all, always making precise calculations..."

Hiccup puffed proudly. "Yeah, I guess so!" he smiled. "So... why did you want me to keep my armor on?"

Astrid fidgeted a little. She wanted to tell him exactly what had been going through her mind, all day since that morning, how she was struggling with soothing away the hurting she had felt, assure herself everything was okay, she wouldn't suddenly get dragged away again. She couldn't tell him what was really on her mind, she certainly would, but she knew it wasn't time yet. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she felt like certain things needed to happen between them first. So instead, she would admit how she felt about his looks. "The straight answer is that you look great," she told him with a little blush. "With your new red tunic and you armor on you look completely amazing."

Hiccup chuckled. "Well, I can tell you're not telling me everything," he began, noticing her biting her lip, and knew he figured right. "But for now that's fine. Thank you, I appreciate it," he smiled, his own deep blush coloring his cheeks. "You're really stroking my ego now," he smirked.

Astrid shrugged. "You took several mean jabs earlier, I can at least make it up to you a little."

Hiccup kissed her cheek affectionately then, squeezing her in his arms a bit until she hummed in pleasure, snuggling into his hold. "I had the idea of red after you had pointed it out last race."

Astrid was a little surprised by this. Had she been the one that influenced this color on him all along? "I didn't realize you remembered I said that," she murmured against him.

Hiccup held her closer, his lips resting at the bend of her neck. "I remember everything about you," he cooed. Astrid let her eyes shut in bliss once more, loving it when he said things like that. She leaned against him, nearly lulled by his embrace. In the end though, they couldn't spend too much time there. They finally pulled themselves off the wall and pulled their clothes back on. They sneaked in one last, long kiss before they carefully left the warehouse to separate to their own homes.

Astrid would have bruises from this session, but it was _so_ _worth_ _it_.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Aww, he looks just like "him" now, poor Astrid was dumbstruck and unable to handle it for a bit... but it's all good! Astrid is encouraging Hiccup to man up and take her lol. Yes the show of dominance here was also important to the plot, after all, he's supposed to be turning into "that" Hiccup, who was much more sexually confident. Yes, I'm still going with my head-canon that the only reason they don't show their affection for each other on screen is because they're getting it on in between episodes lmao._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Mia:** Aww, thank you! I appreciate you saying that. It was actually my first detailed male oral. Practice makes perfect, I suppose!_

 _ **OechsnerC:** Thanks!_

 _ **Bloody hell:** I don't have concrete plans right now, but I guess a little of everything? I _am _capable of writing more innocent stories lol, though they're not quite as fun in my opinion. Depends on the plot, I suppose!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** I know, right? Yeah they probably weren't very silent, but they tried! XD_

 _ **Uh Oh:** Me neither! _

_**Haddockwarriorr:** Lol he got a good deal, didn't he? _

_**The bitch:** Yeah, maybe!_

 _ **Ur awesome:** Lol not a month, no._

 _ **Holly:** Thanks! I know what you mean, and that is just gross yeah._

 _ **Metalgoddess:** Don't worry, I'll get there!_

 _ **Pop tarts:** Lol I know what you mean. I hope you liked the update!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"What Your Soul Sings" by Massive Attack._

* * *

Sometimes life had a funny way of turning what you were used to upside down.

It had been several months since Hiccup donned his red tunic. A little bit after their nineteenth birthdays, Astrid Hofferson found herself in a bind. She had spent the entire morning chasing after her lately increasingly fleeting boyfriend. Someone had began to change in him recently, a restless itch to go out and discover new things, find more to life than the normal. Astrid could hardly blame him though, especially since the chief had been steadily increasing his responsibilities, tying him down to Berk more.

In very much the same way, Astrid had begun to feel a strain, a gnashing desire in her to grow and broaden her mundane lifestyle. She had come to the conclusion that she couldn't just sit around and waste away, Then, maybe sensing his daughter's increasing restlessness of her own, her father told her of an opportunity to be of some real service to Berk.

The Berk Guard.

It would often take her on patrols around their territory and diplomatic expeditions with the main council to other tribes. She would use her skills and be useful, constructive, and maybe get a little more out of life. It wasn't her first choice, not liking the idea of being chained down to a rigid line of service, being a more free spirit, but what other option did she have?

Over the past two years she had steadily began to feel like Berk was driving her insane, so this was a good chance to escape it all. Unfortunately... this meant she would spend a lot less time with her friends... and with Hiccup. But it was a chance for more, a chance to do something useful with her life... now she just needs to let her lover know her decision, if he would just stay in one place!

Astrid saw Hiccup flying around Berk near her then, no doubt admiring how it had grown in the past three years. She tried to catch up to him, but he weaved in and out of the town too quickly. With a huff, and urged Stormfly on. When she finally caught up to him she could feel the start of a headache. She knew his responsibilities were driving him crazy, but he wasn't the only one going through a tough time. Being with him the past year had been amazing to be sure, but she felt like she was just drifting day by day and that had to change.

"Hey, there you are!" Hiccup grinned, perched on his Night Fury.

Astrid sighed in relief when he finally slowed down enough for her to catch up to him. "Hiccup! I've been chasing you since the armory!" she told him, irritated by his flighty behavior. The only time he seemed to stay in one place nowadays was when he was deep inside her... well, stay in one place was a stretched way of describing it, but at least then he wasn't flying all over the place making it impossible to reach him!

Hiccup regarded her for a second. "Well, I thought we'd try out the far north today," he suggested, bringing up their habit of scouring the region for exciting new things. Since they started courting, they went out as often as they could, so it was only natural for him to assume she was joining him on another excursion.

Astrid, on the other hand, groaned inwardly. Oh no, he was in _that_ mood. When he got this way it was almost impossible to get through his thick skull. "Uh, can we talk about something first..?" she asked, hoping he'd hold off from his adventurous excitement to give her the time of day.

A familiar mischievous glint lit his eyes up. "Yeah, sure, if you can catch me!" he challenged and shot out with Toothless, who roared with excitement.

Astrid sighed in exasperation but sped out after him again. They flew quite a ways until he took pity on her and slowed Toothless down again. He pulled out his spyglass and looked around the outskirts of their territory. "You know what? I'm just gunna say it. I have a really good feeling about today, Astrid," he mused with enthusiasm.

Astrid resisted groaning in exasperation. It was almost always impossible to get him to sit still when he went on about dragons. "You say that _every time_ we go searching for new dragons..? Hiccup, while we have a second, I wanted to talk to you about-"

"-Oh, look, look, look, look! You see it?" Hiccup pointed out excitedly. Astrid couldn't stop her sigh of frustration but let him go on. "There's definitely some movement up ahead. Long neck, large head. Behind that rock formation," Hiccup pointed out jubilantly.

Knowing he was just going to keep droning on, Astrid tried to interrupt, trying to get through to his relentless excitement. Gods, if it wasn't about getting into her pants, it was about dragons! She had thought it before, now she'd think it again. He was damn single-minded. "Yeah, anyway," she began, not for a second believing they actually managed to find a new dragon so close to Berk after so much effort looking in the past. "I wanted to tell you-" before she could get in another word, he sped off again. "Ugh!" She grunted in annoyance and went out after him again. He was damn lucky she loved him so gods damn much, or she'd have knocked him off Toothless already and forced him to listen. Though she might actually have to do just that anyway.

As she neared him, she could hear him muttering to Toothless. "This is it, Toothless. A new species of dragon, bud!" Toothless growled back in excitement.

They flew over to the rock formation with anticipation and then she heard the twins roar out "-Loki'd!" with glee. "Ha! You totally thought 'Barch' was a new dragon!" Tuff sneered and laughed with his sister, whipping around and spinning on the dragon's long neck as he teased the taller teen.

Astrid glared over at them and frowned sympathetically at the disappointment in Hiccup's next words, seeing the clear stiffness of his shoulders. "Oh come on. Did not!" he spat, trying to mask how upset that made him. He turned then to his faithful dragon and urged him away. "Let's go, bud," he mumbled and flew off again.

"Wow. Who yakked in his mutton?" Tuff mused, flipping around atop Belch.

"Oh grow up!" Astrid barked at them, then went off to chase after her boyfriend again. When she caught up to him again, she found him and Toothless on a grassy cliff-side, overlooking the ocean like they did many times over the years, dreaming of ways to escape it all, even before they got together. This time, he didn't look so wide-eyed with wonder like he usually would. Astrid sighed with pity and approached him once she landed with Stormfly.

"Hiccup, those guys are mutton-heads," she scoffed, drawing his attention, finally. "But you have to admit, we've visited every island, every sea stack, and every rock in the archipelago twice. And we haven't spotted a new dragon in a long time..." Astrid didn't know what to do about her own knowledge of different dragons, she didn't know when they would go out to find the place that would one day become Dragon's Edge... but right now, she couldn't think about that, not when she felt like Berk was going to kill her.

Hiccup looked forlorn, glaring at the cliff. "This can't be all there is. There has to be something more out there!"

Astrid bit her lip and glanced out at sea. "What if there isn't, Hiccup? What if we're done? What if the search is over?" she tried to reason with him. What if it was? What if they never went out to find those islands this time around? How was she to know?

"It can't be," Hiccup insisted, his eyes pleading.

Astrid frowned sadly, knowing she had to say what she had chased him all over Berk to tell him. "Well... it's over for me," she sighed, hating herself for doing this. "I've been trying to tell you... Stormfly and I... we're joining the Berk Guard..." she announced, not missing the flinch in his expression.

Hiccup stared wide-eyed for a second. "Oh... that's great! I'm... happy for you guys," he smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes one bit. His false smile fell off his face as soon as he looked away, once again staring out over the ocean forlornly.

Astrid felt her heart twist and pang painfully inside her. Why was this so difficult? Mustering up the strength she needed, she spoke again, trying to reason with him, trying to get him to do something with his life too. "Look, maybe... you should give some thought to... what's next for you and Toothless?" she suggested gently. Unable to bear seeing his heartbroken look anymore, and hating herself for being the one to make him look that way, she got back on Stormfly quickly and left before his crestfallen expression got to her any more than it already had. Stormfly crooned softly at her. "I know, girl... I know... I hated doing that to him too..."

As much as she adored and loved him with every fiber of her being, she couldn't just live day by day purely on his fantastical whims. She had to search for meaning in the bleakness that was Berk too, not continue on flights of fancy like him, even if they were often very fun escapes with many pleasant memories. Part of Astrid hoped to the gods above that there was something else out there, like he so viciously wished for... but until something smacked them in the face with proof, Astrid felt like she'd go crazy if she didn't do something constructive!

Later that afternoon, Astrid tried to catch Hiccup when he went to work, tried to explain her decision to him, but it was clear he didn't want to hear it. "Sorry, Astrid, I'm... I'm really busy right now. I can't talk now, try some other time, okay?" he told her unsteadily, smiling weakly and walking off. Astrid stood there in shock, surprised he had just brushed her off. She knew he was hurting by her decision to leave the academy, and in a way unintentionally distance herself from him a little, but the logical reasoning behind it didn't stop his cold actions from confusing, angering and saddening her all at once.

To try to cope with the conflicted feelings and get her mind off how much that little rejection hurt her, Astrid went with Stormfly to her training grounds. With her axe in hand, Astrid flew through her training regime, killing her targets angrily, not even bothering to put them back up when her brutal force knocked them right off. As she went about it, she felt angry, very angry. She was angry at herself for being angry at herself at how upset he was, because she wanted more to life. How messed up was that?

The twisted and confusing hurt from her conflicted need to leave Berk but not want to leave Hiccup, and at the same time feeling like not distancing herself a little from the usual routines, would drive her insane. It made her angry all over again and she hacked more viciously at the target. Gods! Why was it so difficult to separate her other wants in life from him? Why did everything seem to revolve around him? She had desires to spread her wings and find more to life than sitting around aimlessly in Berk too, damn it!

Astrid sighed and let herself stop for a moment, let herself catch her breath. She knew why it was so difficult. A part of herself was hoping for the very same thing Hiccup was, only she had the added 'advantage' of knowing a possible future, where they did everything he was wishing they could. To make matters 'worse', she couldn't separate her wants in life from him because _he was her life_. Her love for him was the biggest part of her, rivaled only by her desire to be a strong warrior. So the conflict of wanting more, and the conflict of knowing there will be more and with him on top of it, but not knowing if it would even happen, was like a poison working its way through her. For the time being, to deal with it, all she had was the Berk Guard.

That night, despite her frustration, Astrid wanted so badly to go sneak into Hiccup's room, like she had done many times. As always, she yearned to be with him, but now more importantly, she wanted so much to explain herself better to him, try to make him see reason... but she didn't know how to face him after upsetting him like she had. She felt herself become angry again and wasn't able to sleep that night, and this time it was not because she was lusting for him, for a change.

But then, Astrid could not have known just how rapidly her future was catching up to her.

The next day, while the the gang was separated in their new duties, no longer spending as many mornings in the academy going over lessons and doing drills, Johann is once again dragged into Berk. Astrid hadn't been aware of this as she had been busy helping her mother swap old, rusted weapons in the armory for newer ones, just in case, and having Gobber repair the old ones. Later that day, Astrid was both exasperated and eager when she and the other riders are urgently called to the academy on important business.

As she made her way in, she noticed Johann there and a map of their territory set up over the board. She went over and listened with gradually widening eyes as Hiccup explained the situation, how they were given the task to hunt down Dagur and bring him to justice. This meant heading out into the uncharted areas of the archipelago. Hope and excitement bubbled within Astrid. Was this..? Could they really be heading out to..? The prospect of finding Dragon's Edge was one that nearly had Astrid choking with emotion. Of course, she couldn't mention it, at least not yet to Hiccup, but it was still a tantalizing hope. Hiccup went over the plan and asked if they would be willing to take time off their busy schedules. When no one objected, they set off to pack for the trip.

As they got their dragons saddled and ready, Astrid had to tell herself that this was an important mission to capture a deadly, psychopathic barbarian, not some vacation. The trip was silent for the most part, everyone tense with the prospect of dealing with Dagur and whoever he had hired to help him. They flew through the day and well into the night before spotting an honestly frightening sight. What seemed like hundreds of battered, broken ships littered the waters and jagged rocks. The full moon cast an ominous glow over it. An eerie fog rolled through it, the sounds of creaking wood and splitting hulls filled the air. The riders were equally put on edge, expecting monsters or bandits to jump out at them any second.

They split up to look for signs of Dagur, while Hiccup took the very dangerous risk of searching through The Reaper. They spent quite a while combing the ships for clues, trying to stay calm as they did and _finally_ , something broken the tension... though it wasn't something they were happy about. Dagur had found them! They were completely taken by surprise, bags over their heads, tied up, and carried off. Astrid snarled and twisted in the beefy arms of the man holding her. Then, after what seemed like an eternity trying to escape, he was tossed into what felt like a cage and the bag over her head was removed. Astrid blinked back to focus and found the rest of the riders with her behind the green metal bars. "Dagur! I should of known that stench was you!" Astrid growled. "Let me out of here so I can rip you a new ass hole, asshole!"

"Temper, temper, Astrid! You better calm down or I just might have to _deal_ with you before Hiccup joins the party!" Dagur sneered. "And my my, how you've grown... I might just _deal_ with you after all..." he leered at her, eyebrows bobbing.

"Ugh! In your dreams, you creep!" Astrid gagged.

Dagur laughed maniacally. "Oh you just might be, you just might be," he grinned.

"You leave her alone!" Snotlout snarled, punching the cage and not caring about the sting it gave him. He might flirt with Astrid a lot, but he honestly cared about her and wouldn't have some overgrown punk mess with her like that... that was _his_ job.

"What are you going to do about it... what was your name? Boogerface? Phlegmlot?"

"It's Snotlo-"

"-Who cares! I don't. No one cares what you think, short-stuff," Dagur smirked. "Alright now, everyone _be quiet_!" he roared at them. "It's time for you to let good old Dagur do his thing! Anyone make another peep and I'll disembowel you all and knit your intestines into a new sail, sound good? Good."

So the riders remained angrily silent, waiting for and hoping Hiccup did not fall into the trap... but they were on board The Reaper and Hiccup was below deck... so there wasn't much chance he wouldn't fall for the ambush anyway. When Hiccup finally did show up, everything seemed to go fast from there. Dagur tricked them, eels were about to eat them, their dragons made them think they abandoned them before returning, and Hiccup helped get them off the then sinking ship after Dagur sent a boulder from a catapult to crash into the deck. Hiccup and their dragons managed to rescue them, but Hiccup flew off after Dagur, telling them to head back to Berk.

Astrid hesitated, hating it when Hiccup went off on his own to do something suicidal, but couldn't just wait around either, they had to tell Stoick and the council what had happened and Astrid didn't trust her friends to stay coherent when they did. She trusted Fishlegs, but also knew the twins would try to mess him up and contradict him just for fun. So, with a heavy heart, Astrid did as she was told and flew off with the rest of the riders.

Hiccup fortunately rejoined them not ten minutes later, showing them the cylindrical device Astrid had hoped she'd one day see again. None of them knew what it was or what it did, except maybe Astrid a little, but she remained silent, not wanting to disrupt the alluring mystery of it for them. When they got back to Berk, later that day, they spoke to the council, glad they were now old enough to address them without being frowned at. "I'm glad you've all returned safely," Stoick told them once the report was given.

They took the device to Gobber, to see if he could figure out what it was, maybe open it if that was a possibility. After a few moments of effort, Tuffnut taking a few hits from traps in the now dubbed 'Dragon Eye', a trip to Gothi's, and the realization they needed to go out again to find a way to unlock the secrets of the device, they packed their bags again and headed out once more. This trip had the added bonus of Gothi's guidance and the prospect of dealing with a new dragon, just as Hiccup had been craving for.

Unfortunately, the expedition was not the most fun and it nearly cost them their lives when they had to fight the Snowwraith. They had gone out there to get a tooth from it, which was what was needed to unlock the Dragon Eye. Astrid had nearly been knocked off a cliff and Hiccup had shown his concern for her, asking if she was okay, ahead of anyone else. Astrid had assured him she was and they were both glad none of their friends seemed to notice the tension between them. They finally got the tooth and headed back to Berk.

After that whole fiasco, they finally unlocked the Dragon Eye back home... but it did nothing. It was frustrating, having had to go through all of that for nothing to happen. Astrid had an idea of what it needed, but knew Hiccup would eventually figure it out anyway and didn't want to spoil it for him. As it happened, it had taken Hiccup the whole day to stumble upon the solution to the mystery on accident. A dragon's fire, the specific and unique spectrum of light each dragon produced, was what activated a series of crystals and lenses within the device to show them maps, writing, and secrets. Hiccup woke them all up and had them go over to his hut late that night, showing them what he found. "This changes everything, guys!" Hiccup had grinned at them.

Early the next morning, Hiccup had addressed the prospect of discovering new lands, new dragons, and new advantages to the council. Astrid wasn't sure what they would say about it, where she waited, but when Hiccup ran out of the Great Hall with a wide grin on his face she was happy to assume the talk went well. "We've got ourselves a go!" Hiccup all but gushed in excitement. "Astrid! Will you come with me? I... I know you had your heart set on the Berk Guard but-"

"Yes! Of course I will!" Astrid interrupted him, then blushed at how eager she sounded. "I mean... I have to help you keep the rest of those mutton-heads in line, don't I? It's just as much work as I'd ever get in the Guard..." she amended, trying to ignore Hiccup's knowing smile. He stepped toward her, reaching out with the intention of caressing her cheek, but the rest of them approached them then, asking about the status of their possible new adventure. Hiccup dropped his hand in an instant and explained to them that the chief has given them permission to go. He told them that if they still wanted to go, to meet him at the stables in an hour with any supplies they thought would be necessary and they would head out immediately!

About two and a half hours later, they set off again after Stoick wished them luck, and went onward to the 'great beyond'.

Throughout the _long_ trip throughout a very nasty foggy, cloudy day, all of them, except maybe Hiccup, were beginning to get tired. Somehow, even flying for hours without a single sight of land, didn't do anything to dampen Hiccup's spirits. They complained to him, so he had Toothless try to find something, anything. Just as he did this, however, a storm started up, lighting flashing dangerously around them, reminding them of a Skrill. Finally however, they spotted blue waters and sun light and flew straight toward it. On the other side of the storm was the beautiful sight of clear horizons, clear blue waters, and even the promising evidence of an island or two in the distance!

If Astrid thought the trip would be a calm one, she was in for a surprise.

Astrid had become very excited when they found the Dragon Eye. She hadn't had a clue of what it was or how they got it before, but now she was curious and eager to learn more about it and its secrets. She happily went with them, glad she had been dragged away from her misguided attempt to spread her wings under the confines of the Berk Guard. From what the dragon eye showed in the first lens they viewed, there should be islands nearby, and Astrid secretly hoped one of them would be Dragon's Edge, or at least the location Dragon's Edge would be built on.

They flew quite a ways until their dragons decided they couldn't fly much more. An island seemed to call to them then, and they decided to let their beasts guide them. They landed on the beautiful island, amazed by the lush greenery, tall cliffs, crystal blue waters, and beautiful mountains. It was a gorgeous spot and none of them were very eager to leave it. Astrid didn't recognize it right away. It was gorgeous though, and relaxing, and something about it just drew everyone in, including the dragons, so what was the harm in it? They couldn't have known how dangerous the island really was however.

That night, she and Hiccup sat on the beach talking while everyone else was asleep. They knew it was risky, not because of them sitting next to each other as that wasn't so unusual for them, but risky in the sense that there was still very much an unresolved tension between them. They hadn't addressed the hurt they felt a few days ago, though they had shared an apologetic look to each other once or twice.

As they sat and talked about the possibilities of discovering new things, new dragons, exciting adventure, Astrid let him know he was right, hoping he understood what she meant, that she acknowledged what he had been trying to tell her that morning in Berk. They shared a look with each other and Astrid was glad to see understanding in his eyes. Hiccup affirmed it, going on about how this was a new opportunity for them, how it would expand their horizons and let them possibly even gain exciting knowledge that would help Berk as well. It was more than just an adventure, it was a possibility for Berk to grow as well.

Despite the tension between them, they stayed where they were, sitting on the beach together, gazing out into the moon-lit ocean, talking about the excitement, about the adventure, and about plans for the future for all of them. Maybe it was because they were still a little tender after that little confrontation they had, but they didn't talk about _them_ that night, didn't do more than sit with each other, and didn't take advantage of being alone.

It was no mystery to either of them how much they wanted to be together. How nice it would be to roll around the sandy beach, reaffirm their need for each other, if only to simply kiss, but that would be a foolish thing to do. It was not only reckless, in front of their friends, but it wouldn't really resolve the issue of the tightly coiling tension either. Since they started their little trip, since not having actually talked about how it effected _them_ , things were a little strained between them.

And if that alone wasn't bad enough, there was also the fact that they hadn't been together for over two weeks. Just by the way their shoulders tensed every time they leaned a little closer to each other, by how their cheeks twitched, how restless their hands were. Just by how often their eyes flicked to each others lips, more than once, with clear desire, it would be dangerous and stupid at that moment to try anything, even as innocent as holding hands, as they were liable to snap at any second.

Normally things wouldn't be this tense between them, but with the amount of crazy events lately, how thrilling, how dangerous, and how much it kept them firmly at a distance from each other, it only heightened their nearly endless need to be in each others arms. Still, even with all of that, it was nice to simply be there together with a happier outlook again, so for now it would suffice.

They did, however, nod off and fall asleep together, not caring if they were essentially in plain view of their friends. They didn't hold each other like they yearned to, but they did rest against the warm sands contentedly. They would eventually have to deal with the mounting strain between them, the need to reconcile their feelings for each other, make sure they were still good and still wanted nothing more than to be in each others arms... but for now, they would have to hold off, deal with the new doors opening up to them.

The next morning, they couldn't find their dragons and went out to look for them. Hiccup assured them he would do his best to find them with Toothless in the skies, and had them search on foot. It didn't take them anything to encounter a wild Thunderdrum, as soon as Hiccup left them defenseless without Toothless. They shrieked in panic and ran, but the Thunderdrum's roar did its job and shot their hearing. Hiccup eventually did return and after an almost amusing and loud argument, they _all_ headed off on foot.

It wasn't long before Astrid began to recognize signs of that one elusive dragon she had seen, years ago. She hadn't recognized the sound it made before, but she _did_ recognize the amber-like substance. Then when they found the field of trapped dragons, she knew she had been right. It was only about five minutes later when they finally came face to face with what was then dubbed as the Death Song. Astrid instantly knew what it would do, how it would attempt to trap them, but she was still taken by surprise just as the rest of them.

One by one they were all trapped in amber. By sheer force of will and a good bit of luck, Astrid had avoided being hit by the amber. However, when the Death Song turned its attention to Hiccup, there was nothing in the world that could stop Astrid from trying to save him from it. She ran over with everything she had and literally shoved him out of the way of the spit, getting nailed in the chest while doing so. "Astrid!" Hiccup screamed fearfully, panic surging through him and fighting the urge to try and rip the amber coating off her, but in the end he was forced to escape the deadly dragon.

They laid there arguing while waiting for Hiccup to show up again. Astrid had no doubt in her mind that Hiccup would think of something and save them from the horrible fate of being eaten alive, but the others weren't so trusting. Finally though, Hiccup showed up with the now tamed wild Thunderdrum, once again proving to them that he really was a dragon master, and set off to try to free them. Astrid could almost see the gears in Hiccup's head turning as he figured out how to liberate them. Using Snotlout's gathered Monstrous Nightmare gel, he set the amber on fire and they were finally free to join in the fight against the overgrown butterfly. After a bit of struggling, Hiccup lured the Death Song off and managed to seal it off with the help of the wild Thunderdrum. They all breathed a deep sigh of relief when that little adventure came to an end, and happily left that island far behind.

After a bit of flying and several more misadventures, including nearly having to deal with Whispering Deaths, and finding an island covered with boars... twice... which now Astrid finally understood why Snotlout detested it so much, they finally found an island that looked very familiar to Astrid. She smiled and felt wistful as they approached it, discussing the advantages it had, how big it seemed, how easily defensible it was, and how convenient it seemed. Tuffnut didn't seem convinced, but the more they looked over it, the more Astrid recognized it and felt giddy. Finally, Astrid felt like she was home again.

Time always flowed, and always flowed forward, even when there was a divine intervention. Sooner or later, the past would turn into the present, and the present would lead to the future. This was no different for Astrid Hofferson. A whisper the air, an echo of words once spoken to her, and Astrid felt a shiver rush through her when she recognized it.

 _"The future is still waiting for you to get back to it..."_

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Wow, short chapter! But it's only because it's basically a recap of the first few episodes of RTTE. Most of the beginning dialogue in this chapter was taken directly from "Eye of The Beholder, Part 1" The rest of the episodes I skipped over because I am NOT writing out the action and dialogue to each and every one of them and describe everything that's going on. Forget that lol. I hope no one minded how rushed it was, the story isn't supposed to focus on THOSE adventures. Don't worry, you'll get adventures too, and yes even some "behind the scenes" of episodes from the show in Astrid's point of view._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Mia:** There has to be a little cuteness between all the smutty goodness!_

 _ **OechsnerC:** Thank you! And no, I didn't have to relieve myself lol. I don't usually get worked up when I write that stuff. Reading it is a different story though!_

 _ **M3CH3RZ:** Thank you! Sweet moments are the best._

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Haha, I'm so glad you picked up on that! Yeah I like writing ironies. _

_**Uh oh:** You're welcome and I hope you liked it!_

 _ **Omg:** Thanks!_

 _ **Hawaii:** Yeah that's not my cup of tea either._

 _ **Wikelia:** I know, right? I can't wait for the 24th! I'm so excited lol._

 _ **Pop tarts:** Lol so I've heard. Don't worry, since I understand how difficult it is to find "traditional" setting Hiccstrid, I won't leave this story and I'll see about writing more stories if I can._


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter, at least the last half of it, was inspired by the song "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails. NSFW lyrics._

* * *

A few days later, after scouting the island to make sure it was safe, they settled on a spot to make camp.

Hiccup was the first to address them once they found a good spot to set up camp. Incidentally, it was exactly the spot where Astrid knew Dragon's Edge would be built. "Okay, first thing we need to do is set up camp for the night. We need dry wood for fire, we need fresh water, and we need someone on traps..."

Astrid heard Hiccup, she really did, but the excitement over planning how Dragon's Edge would look like was kind of drowning him out at the moment. Snotlout's 'S' idea was ridiculous, of course, especially since the outpost would be their base of operations and needed to be functional. However, even she thought Fishleg's relaxing idea had some merit. A girl needed some pampering every now and then, did she not? Even a kickass warrior like herself. It was a bit over three years ago, but Astrid could remember a little bit about the Edge, and knew it had defensive structures in case of attacks. And ah yes, when the twins mentioned the boar pit, she did had a fuzzy recollection of watching the two mutton-heads chasing boars occasionally.

Hiccup by now was becoming exasperated. Oh Astrid was well aware that Hiccup was trying to get their attention, and knew she could easily step in and make the rest of them listen to him, but it was fun watching him flounder sometimes until he found his voice. Or rather, have Toothless blast the ground to make them all jump and pay attention to him. Snotlout was a little irritated by how bossy he was when he started dishing out orders, but Astrid found his take-charge attitude as pleasing as she always did, giving him two thumbs up for it. That night, when Tuffnut mentioned a giant dragon, Astrid had a feeling she knew what he was talking about, but didn't want to seem she knew too much about the island after only being there a day, so she remained silent.

The next day they went over designs for the outpost. Astrid again had only a hazy remembrance of what it would look like in the end, but she didn't know exactly how it got built so it was all very exciting. She presented her idea to Hiccup, coming up with defenses similar to the ones she remembers seeing and expected he'd take a liking to them. However, when he didn't seem too concerned with her ideas, or anyone else's for that matter, she felt a little confused. She knew she remembered seeing look-out towers like this before, so why wasn't he very interested? When he then suggested they all should get their ideas, she titled her head thoughtfully, wondering what he was planning, as he had that calculated look in his eyes. Of course, he was suspiciously enigmatic about it when she confronted him.

Hiccup seemed to be lounging, watching them work, and Astrid had to wonder if he was thinking of designs of his own or simply relaxing. It was a little disconcerting, especially with how often his eyes drifted to her, but she had defenses to plan and couldn't let him get to her. After about twenty minutes of trying to figure out where she should start setting up markers for her towers, Fishlegs and Snotlout got into a fight, breaking her out of her concentration. At some point Tuffnut returned from wherever he was that morning, but Astrid wasn't really paying attention. Feeling her own mounting frustrations get to her, she tried to break them up, but all her efforts did was spur them on and made it worse.

After struggling for a bit, she hopped off trying to uselessly wrangle them off each other and barked at them to stop. They stopped fighting in a second and gave her their attention. "We're not kids anymore! What are you doing?"

"He smashed my model!" Fishlegs whined.

Snotlout scowled. "He took my rock. I needed it for my 'S'!"

Astrid rubbed the bridge of her nose, almost feeling like she was their mother or something. "What are you two, a bunch of toddlers? Fishlegs, just build another one. Snotlout, are you even hearing yourself right now? Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds?" The two overgrown children then deciding to toss blame and broke into an argument. "Alright, stop!" the shield-maiden yelled, her hands stretched out to try and keep them from fighting again... or rather, Snotlout trying to threaten to beat him up and Fishlegs to shrink away. "Both of you need to calm down! Work on your projects a little more separated from each other from now on, okay?" she sighed and split them up, tossing them a few extra twigs and rocks.

"Sorry Astrid... I guess I got carried away. It's just so exciting! Building a home away from home and all!" Fishlegs beamed.

Astrid smiled and nodded, completely agreeing with him. "I know and it's fine, just try to remember that we're not kids anymore, okay?"

"Sure," Fishlegs nodded, then sent the surprisingly quiet Snotlout a glower. "As long as he remembers that too..."

"Whatever," Snotlout scoffed, scowling when Hookfang snorted in amusement.

"Oh hey, where is Hiccup? And the twins?" Fishlegs asked, glancing around their area.

Astrid looked about as well and shrugged unconcernedly. "Hm? I don't know. I don't see their dragons so I guess they went out somewhere."

"Maybe to look for Tuffnut's imaginary dragon," Snotlout sneered, picking up a few rocks a twigs and build a diagram of his hut.

"Maybe," Astrid agreed. "Well anyway, while we have the time and we're not really doing anything useful. Why don't we do something constructive with out time?" she suggested.

Fishlegs smiled a little. "Sounds good. Like what?"

Astrid looked at their camp site and then around at the surrounding landscape, the area which would one day become the docks and ladder up to the main part of the outpost. "Why don't we start gathering the supplies we can manage here to actually build the outpost? Snotlout you can use Hookfang's help to rip up trees along the edge there, clear up space for docks. We can use the lumber you gather to build it and other buildings. With the branches and some rope we can build a few barrels and crates to hold goods. Fishlegs, you and Meatlug can clear up the landscape from rocks and foliage, maybe gather some wild edibles while you're at it. I'll clean the lumber and branches with my axe, gather water once the barrels are built and organize whatever you boys bring over. Sound good?"

Fishlegs was eager, Snotlout was reluctant, but they both agreed to do the tasks given to them.

They spend most of the day gathering lumber, building storage, and stocking up on berries, roots, and water. So far they had only managed to put together two crates, as the barrels were taking a bit more time to get right. Snotlout pinched his finger between two pieces of carefully carved wood for another barrel. "Argh!" he sucked on his sore digit. "Why do I have to build this stuff?" he mumbled, glaring at the wood and handmade rope he just finished.

Astrid glanced over from carefully skinning bark off another thick branch to mold into part of the barrel in question. "You've boasted about your skills with crafts so many times, Snotlout. You might as well use those _mighty_ skills, right?" she drawled, rolling her eyes when he grinned broadly at her supposed praise. "Besides, you're related to Hiccup, so he you to have a thought in your brain _somewhere_ ," she added with a smirk. Snotlout scowled but didn't object and continued in his craft. In order to properly build the barrel, they had to carefully whittle wood in a way that placed together would go around in a circle and fit together like a puzzle. Then with woven fibers made into rope, tie it together tight enough to allow them to store water.

After a bit, one of the barrels was finally finished. "Not bad," Astrid nodded, pleased that she was able to be gentle enough with the wood to not leave any grooves. "Good job with the rope, Snotlout," she told him, hoping he wouldn't take the compliment to his head.

"Thanks, Astrid," Snotlout grinned, though fortunately didn't make another pass to her.

Astrid, carefully tested its sturdiness and found it solid enough. "I'm going to go test it with water," she mentioned and went off with Stormfly.

Fishlegs returned with an armful of what he believed were things they could store and eat, various roots and leafy greens. "Where's Astrid?" he asked, unloading the bounty into one of the crates and nodding with satisfaction when it didn't fall apart.

"Getting water. Hey is any of that stuff poisonous?" Snotlout questioned.

Fishlegs scoffed. "No..." he mumbled, then shifted a little. "Well, I hope not," he smiled sheepishly.

Snotlout scowled. "Fishlegs, if any of that stuff makes me sick, or worse, kills me, I swear I'll haunt you to death..." he growled.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it's fine."

Just then Astrid returned with the barrel. "Success!" she grinned, hopping off Stormfly who placed the barrel gently onto the ground from her claws. "Gentlemen, we officially have a way to store water," she smiled, then reluctantly congratulated Snotlout on a job well done.

Snotlout puffed and winked. "Well you know, my hands are pretty skilled... you could test them if you want?" he suggested lewdly.

Astrid narrowed her eyes and calmly walked over to him. "Let me see one of your 'skilled' hands?" she asked in what she hoped was an innocent tone.

"Sure," Snotlout grinned and offered her one of his beefy paws.

Astrid leaned over, nodded, then grabbed it and yanked his fingers back, twisting until he squealed in pain, then let go. "You're lucky your hands are still needed to help the group of they'd be broken right now..." she growled.

Snotlout whimpered and rubbed his sore fingers. "You don't have to be so mean..." he pouted.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Come on, we can still do more," she told them and set them on further tasks.

That night, Hiccup and the twins finally returned with what Astrid correctly identified as Smidvarg, though she couldn't exactly say. They talked about the new species of dragon they encountered. Fishlegs dubbed them Night Terrors, and then Tuffnut gave the white Night Terror the name Smidvarg and the black ones 'the gang'. Just then, they heard a commotion and flew out to investigate. Astrid was surprised by the sight of a little less than half a dozen Changewings attacking the other Night Terrors. They flew over to help, but weren't able to do much... especially when so many more began to head right for them.

Hiccup went off to release the white Night Terror and in the meantime, Astrid mobilized the group into a defensive pattern, keeping the Changewings at bay. They had their dragons firing and dodged acid spits, but eventually they were overrun and couldn't maintain their defensive pattern. Astrid held firm with the Night Terrors, trying to protect them, but she was knocked off of Stormfly, her nails scraping at a cliff-edge while the Deadly Nadder squawked and tried not to get hit by a Changewing. "Stormfly!" Astrid cried in panic, feeling herself slip, then gasped when a Changewing made its way toward her. Before it could take advantage of her vulnerability, Fishlegs had Meatlug blast onto it, rescuing her and then being chased off. Stormfly finally broke free of her own fight and caught Astrid before she could fall.

Hiccup and the alpha finally returned, blasting away at the Changewings swarming the scattered Night Terrors. The alpha flew over and spurred his kin into action, forming a giant version of itself. The group helped to fight off the Changewings, but the majority of them were spooked away by the massive shape of the combined Night Terrors. By the time the finished running the Changewings out of their island, the little dragons seemed to have become fond of them, appreciating the help. They trilled happily at them before flying off into the distance, no doubt to recover from the long night. Taking that as an example, the riders returned to camp to rest. "Wow! You guys were busy!" Hiccup grinned, seeing all the work Astrid, Snotlout and Fishlegs did. "I'm impressed," he beamed, sending Astrid a knowing and appreciative look. They pass out that night, completely worn out from the days events.

The next morning, Hiccup showed up with something he had been sketching since he woke up, before anyone else. Astrid recognized it and smiled knowingly when she saw the drawing. "What's this?" she asked with interest, hoping she sounded as such.

Thankfully, Hiccup seemed very enthusiastic. "A diagram of our new outpost!" he explained cheerfully, explaining how he got the idea from Smidvarg. He liked all of their ideas and put them all together. "I was thinking we could call it... The 'Dragon's Edge'," he grinned. "What do you guys think?" As soon as he gave their outpost their name, Astrid felt a shiver run through her and couldn't get the grin off her face. After he explained to them what their construction spots would hold for them, and how they'd tie it all together, he explained what they'd need to construct and where to start. First they needed to gather supplies, then they needed ways to get around the outpost site before they could build ladders, stares, and ziplines. Hiccup split them up on tasks much like Astrid had done and they began the long and arduous task of constructing their base of operations.

They spent several weeks building the outpost little by little and it was tiring enough to wear them all out, including the Night Terrors which they began trying to train. Astrid was glad when she found the ingredients she needed for Moon Tea around the island. Back during her experience in the future, she had not had to worry about it as she had already had a stock of the ingredients in her hut. Now it was on her to gather them without alerting the others to her devices. It would unfortunately probably still be a while before she would have a chance to actually need to take it anyway. Though by the way Hiccup seemed more clipped and concise than usual, it probably would be sooner rather than later that she would have to take some.

Being together with their friends all the time didn't leave much time for them to be together, even innocently, but Astrid was okay with that, for now, feeling completely content just to finally be there with him and extremely glad she didn't join the guard after all. That, of course, didn't stop Astrid from sending him enticing looks, caressing his hand, and smiling adoringly at him. It also didn't stop him from stroking his hand over her body whenever he had the chance, down her back, over her arm, around her waist, and didn't stop him from pressing against her whenever he could in mock innocence, blowing on her neck, giving her his own smoldering looks. The slow process of building up their base was heightening their need for each other every day and she knew sooner or later something had to give.

Finally, after several back and forth trips to and from Berk to bring over supplies, and after several weeks of constructions, their huts were finally finished. With the prospect of relaxing, Astrid made sure to gather all her herbs and prepared some tea for herself. It had been five, maybe six weeks since she even hugged Hiccup. Far too long. They had only managed to talk a little as they worked, 'accidentally' touch each other's hands, waists, send each other looks, but nothing more. Drinking the tea, knowing what it signified, made her anxious and impatient. She sat quietly at her new table, breathing in the pleasant smell of a newly constructed home. It still lacked a few personal touches, but that would come with time.

Later that evening, after they each had a chance to wash all the sweat, dirt, and cuts from the weeks worth of difficult labor, they all congregated to their newly constructed clubhouse to celebrate. There was fresh mead from Berk, freshly caught and roasted boar, and fish, boiled and salted roots and other vegetables Fishlegs had gathered, Sven's prized sheep cheese, and Tuffnut's equally cheesy, offkey singing. While the dragons happily chowed down on their fish, they riders talked, joked and simply relaxed. When Hiccup began sending Astrid promising looks over his mug of mead, she knew she made the right call drinking her tea and felt herself shiver with anticipation, shifting a little in her seat.

That night, when everyone splits up to sleep in their new huts, Hiccup and Astrid lingered in the clubhouse a little. As soon as the others left, Hiccup turned and smiled to her. "Astrid, I was uh, wondering... would you like to stop by my hut to um, _talk_..?" he asked with a grin.

Astrid rolled her eyes at his not so subtle invitation and cheesy excuse. "Sure Hiccup, I'd love to _talk_ ," she answered.

Hiccup nearly fell over as he spun around to Toothless. "Hey bud, would you mind sticking around here or spending the night at the stables? I got you plenty of fish so you shouldn't have to need for food? What do you say?" he asked with a hopeful smile. Toothless blinked owlishly at him and snorted, giving him a dragon version of an eye-roll. He wasn't a fool, or a hatchling, he knew what his human wanted to do with his mate, if the thick pheromones they were giving off was any indication. This wasn't the first time, anyway. With a grumbling warble, he turned and went over to a basket of freshly caught fish, plopping himself down. Hiccup grinned in appreciation and turned back to Astrid. "I guess we can have that talk now," he beamed.

"I guess so," Astrid laughed softly, sending her own smile of appreciation to the Night Fury.

As they headed out of the clubhouse, they were both very tense. They talked a little on their way over, though of nothing in particular, just trying to fill the awkward silence between them. Once inside his hut, closing the door behind them, they tried to act nonchalantly, but there was an obvious and very sharp sexual charge between them. As soon as they reached the top of Hiccup's loft, they were breathless and didn't quite know what to do with themselves. They met each other half way, cupping their cheeks and kissed hungrily, putting in all the pent up need to be together in that one moment.

"It's been too long," Hiccup gasped as they pulled from the kiss to breathe, though his mouth didn't stop, kissing his way over her jaw, trailing down to her neck, pulling her closer to him, long limbs wrapping around her slender body.

"Mmm..." Astrid moaned, tilting her head back to give him better access, biting her lip and gripping his tunic over his back desperately. One of his hands slid over a breast and pressed down on her now rock hard nipple, earning him another throaty moan. "Hiccup..." she sighed, angry hot desire pulsing greedily between her legs, brushing her chest against his armor, the peaks grazing against the hard leather, making the throbbing so much stronger. Unable to handle it, Astrid tugged on his armor. Without having to be asked, Hiccup pulled a little from her and hurriedly began to yank the buckles, straps, and leather off him.

As soon as Hiccup tossed the armor away, Astrid was on him again, reaching for the edge of his shirt and pulling it right off, sliding her hand over his deliciously exposed chest, over to his neck, and tugging him back to kiss her. Their lips parted in an instant, hot and eager to pour into each other again. Their lips were still sweet with the honey from the mead that still lingered, intoxicating them the further they delved into their mouths. Astrid walked him backwards over to his bed while Hiccup fiddled with her shoulder armor, unclasping it and letting it fall to the floor noisily.

Never slowing down, they left trails of clothing on their urgent way to the bed, almost not making it. Hiccup's hands explored her through her remaining clothes, fingers pressing down as they searched for the hem of her own shirt, then slid under her tunic, gliding over her heated skin. Astrid arched a little, shivering at the pleasant feeling, the pressure of his hand lighting her on fire, making her sigh into the kiss. Her nails dragged over the sharp swells of his abs, purring in appreciation. Hiccup yanked her shirt off and went back to her neck, sucking hard on her pulse point while his eager hands pulled her binding off. Astrid panted softly, as they reached the bed, digging her fingers into his waist band. "Hiccup, Hiccup," she groaned, tugging on him. Hiccup pulled away again and they quickly tore the rest of their clothes off.

Hiccup fell back onto the bed, laughing as Astrid tried to both pull his breaches off and get his prosthetic off at the same time. "Easy!" he laughed, helping her pull the fake leg off and slide out of his pants.

"Easy would have been two weeks ago," Astrid told him, pressing her hand on his chest to keep him down against the bed. "Stay," she smiled.

"Yes ma'am," Hiccup grinned back. Astrid smirked wickedly then, wanting to see how far she could tease him. She straddled him, throwing her legs over his and gently wrapped her hand over his blessedly erect length. "Astrid..." Hiccup sighed in pleasure, leaning his head back against the bed and groaning softly. Astrid worked him a little, sliding her fist up and down before shifting closer and leaning up toward him. His eyes had closed for a second as she stroked him, but now they opened in time to watch her sink down onto him, sheathing his cock into her quickly, sighing in pleasure while he gasped beneath her.

"Be still, Hiccup," Astrid moaned, keeping herself motionless for a second, just so she could feel the sweet satisfaction of him filling her after so long. "D-Don't... move..." she gasped. Hiccup rested his long arms over the bed, hanging slightly over the edges, letting her know he would obey her. Astrid took another few seconds to relish the feeling before pulling up almost all the way, rocking against the head of his erection to make them both moan with desire, then sank down all the way again abruptly, hissing in pleasure. She began repeatedly rocking hard into him, gasping each time she speared herself onto him, watching him fall back with a guttural moan and wheeze beneath her.

"Thank the gods I was blessed with such a divine gift!" Hiccup groaned, making her laugh at his antics between breathless moans.

As she swayed over him, letting the sounds of his moans and praises fill her, she couldn't help feeling how amazing it was having the power to make him so lost for her. Hiccup twisted beneath her, face and neck completely red, chest heaving, fists clenching the edges of the bed tightly, brows knitted together with intense concentration. Astrid bit her lip as she worked him, admiring the delicious sight. Now she understood what his counterpart had meant all those years ago about having her wicked way with him.

Astrid increases her speed and angled herself over him, jutting her sex over his rigid cock each time, moaning continuously. Hiccup clawed at the bed, trying hard not to take over, roll her around and pummel into her. Astrid appreciated his self control, crushing into his hips with her body as though this was the last time.

" _Astrid_!" Hiccup cried, feeling her go off hot and hard then, clenching tight, almost feeling himself follow her... just a little more. Astrid threw back her head, crying out in pleasure, shaking as her orgasm flushed through her, but then held completely still above him, hoping he would keep himself from taking her. "Astrid..?" Hiccup gasped questioningly, trembling with need beneath her. Astrid bit her lip, knowing how much trouble she will certainly be in for doing this, but wanting the consequences anyway, wanting to see how badly she could make him snap. Once she was calmed down enough, she smirked down at him, and then jumped right off him before he could trap her. "Astrid?!" Hiccup gasped, sitting up and gaping at her incredulously.

Astrid bit her lip again with anticipation. "Thanks for the good time," she said playfully, winking at him for good measure. She turned around, giving him a fine view of her bare ass, then sauntered over to her clothes, bending over slowly to pick them up in full view of him. She glanced back and winked again at his stunned expression where he still lay. She felt herself quiver slightly at the sight of him sprawled over the bed and still as solidly erect as a pole.

Hiccup watched her for a moment with complete disbelief and felt his ire and frustration bubble inside him, knowing she was doing this on purpose again to entice him. She did this sometimes to bring out the more 'Viking-like' attitude out of him. Sometimes he wondered if she'd be happy with some of the more barbaric tribes from long ago, bashing their women over the head and dragging them to their caves to fuck them. Though then she'd probably just whack them all over the head in retaliation. Still, she wanted to play that way, did she? If she wanted a mindless male only looking for a place to shove his dick, he could give her that. He could be romantic, and a lot of times she really enjoyed it when he was, but he could also be completely sexual.

Hiccup had just about enough of her agonizing teasing, it was time she got a taste of her own medicine.

Hiccup scowled a little and quickly reattached his prosthetic while Astrid was distracted. Then, as soon as she attempted to leave, Hiccup shot up out of bed with single-minded purpose. He rushed over to her and grabbed her and ignored her gasp of surprise as he pushed her down onto her hands and knees before him. Hiccup knew this position would both anger and arouse her, but that was just what he wanted from her. He wanted to frustrate her like she frustrated him, driving him crazy so many times he was surprised he didn't explode sooner. He also wanted her so aroused she went out of her mind. Hiccup loved Astrid with everything he had, but this time, it was her turn to suffer a little. He leaned over, making sure his lips were right against her ear and whispered hotly to her. "What you did wasn't very nice, you know," he growled softly. "You didn't even give me enough time to enjoy myself."

Astrid had been momentarily surprised by how easily and quickly he had taken her down, unlike how he might have been able to do a few years ago. Regaining her senses, she huffed, trying to hide her impishly mischievous and pleased smile behind a fake scowl. "I guess I didn't, huh? But hey, you were fun for me at least, that's all that really matters most," she sneered back at him, watching his eyes narrow. "What? Were you expecting more? What are you going to do about it, huh?" she challenged, biting her lip, knowing her taunting would push him over the edge and very much eager for it to do so. She felt his grip tighten predictably, heard him snort and growl. Oh she was in trouble now. There was nothing quite like making Hiccup Haddock so frustrated he ravaged her until she was so wet and full she couldn't contain her screams... it was _fantastic_.

Hiccup tried to contain his frustration, knowing she was saying those things to bait him, but still felt like he needed to prove himself. He knew that was exactly what she was going for, but damn it all to Helheim, it still made him crazy. Deciding what he wanted to do then, he pulled her hips flush into him, yanking her hard and making her gasp again when she felt his still rigid cock wedge between her legs. She swallowed hard and panted a little when he pushed a hand between her thighs, stroking her slowly. He kissed her back lightly then. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he began, almost a bit too calmly. "I'm going to get you _nice and wet_ and then when I'm good and ready, I'll have my turn. _That's_ what." Hiccup knew his words weren't exactly like him, but he also knew she would like them.

Astrid shuddered at the 'threat', moaning softly at the erotic suggestion but needed to keep up appearances. "Like Hel you are," she snorted and tried to get out of his grasp, tried to squirm out of his hold, again amazed by how strong he could be when he tried. She tried to jerk to one side, then the other, trying to roll them over and take control again, but his hold was too much like iron, keeping her still. Hiccup mounted her then, settling himself closer to her, leaning his body over until he was molded, spooned around her, wedging his knees between her legs. Astrid whimpered pleasantly at the erotic feel of him settling behind her, but kept on pretending she didn't want this, bucking against him, trying to get him off, growling and kicking, trying in vain to get out of his grasp.

Hiccup merely smirked at her mock attempts to resist him, knowing she was very much getting a kick out of this too, but needing to appear like she was above being submissive. She was a shield-maiden, a tough badass, so sexually submitting like this would be an affront to her character... but he knew she liked it, and quite a lot actually, so she found a compromise. She fought against him animatedly. Rolling his eyes at how hard she pretended to struggle, he reached around her to tweak her nipples playfully, using his fingers to grip the hardened peaks and rub her until she stopped fighting against him so much.

Pleasure shot through Astrid, feeling him rub, squeeze, and pinch her tender nipples. The consistency of his touch forced pounding, boiling pleasure to pool between her legs, making her head hang in defeat, giving up resisting him. She spread her fingers against the floor to support herself, leaning a little to give him better access to her body. Hiccup smiled at her acceptance of him. He knew she would eventually get him back for this, he knew he would be 'punished', but for now, she had given him the go ahead, so he carried on. He slid his hands down her sides, over her hips, and spread her legs wider. Pushing a little closer, he took his erection in his hand and ran it right against her slit, dipping between her folds.

Astrid, still panting and shivering beneath him, tried to keep up appearances. "You're a... dead man..." she moaned softly.

Hiccup, unfazed by the weak threat, leaned over her again to play his own part of overbearing male. "I warned you once that you _wanted_ this from me," he said, reminding her of the time way back when they were first starting how she told him she wanted him to be more of a man who knew what he wanted and took what was his. The reminder did its job, making her whimper in anticipation. It was times like this, when they fought for dominance, that made for the best sex. His hand slipped between her legs again, swiping his fingers into her slit, finding and stroking her clit expertly, knowing just how to touch her to make her weak and pleading.

Astrid moaned low and long in torrid, sensuous desire, the pulsing pleasure boiling in her belly intensifying the more he touched her, settling between her legs. Her fingers gripping at the newly constructed floor, feeling the tense build up of an orgasm making its way through her burning body. Hiccup leaned in until his chest rested against her back, placing his hands on her hips and dipped down so he could align his swollen erection against her heated sex properly. He pushed up and parted her folds with his tip, rubbing repeatedly, striking her clit with each swath. Astrid whimpered, feeling her now utterly soaked center begin to drip onto the floor beneath her. "Hiccup..." she moaned, shaking where she knelt.

Hiccup paused for a second, sliding his cock over her slickness, deliberately pressing the tip of his burning shaft right against her fluttering walls. Both needing to hear the confirmation to soothe the few insecurities he still had, and at the same time wanting to hear her say it just for a erotic pleasure of it, he whispered to her again. "Astrid, do you want me..?" he asked in mock innocence, his tone dripping with lust, moaning softly as he eased the head of his length in just a little for her to feel him pulsing hotly. Astrid arched slightly, releasing a shuddering breath at the salacious feeling. Hiccup's hands slipped around her legs again, rubbing her thighs as he leaned down and kissed her spine tenderly, feeling the shivers run through it where his lips rested.

Astrid trembled with smothering need, knowing he needed to hear a coherent reply from her. "Yes... _yes_... I do... _oh gods I do_..!" she moaned shamelessly. She felt him shudder, groaning enticingly, before slowly squeezing into her quivering body. Astrid whined out a throaty cry, pushing back into his penetrating cock to greedily take in every delightful inch of him. Hiccup panted harshly, sliding a hand up and down her back then, while the other slipped down to part her legs a little further, keeping them apart. Astrid lost control of her breathing, moaning in anticipation, letting him spread her as far as he wanted. Hiccup pushed in all the way with a little grunt, pulling her hips back flush against him, eyes rolling back at the feel of her firm ass pressed snugly against his belly. He wait for a second, letting her feel him deep inside her, heavy, hot and throbbing between her wet walls.

Astrid moaned out, clenching her inner muscles down on him and enjoying the overwhelming feeling of him so deep and burning inside her. She kept herself still for a moment, letting him go at his own pace, but he was yet to do anything but sit there, breathing steadily over her, driving her crazy. Needing more, she tried to move again, tried to get on with it, but he placed a hand on her back and held her still. "Hiccup!" she called to him, trying to get him to do something, anything.

Finally, he began move, keeping his hand over her back to hold her in place, pulled out almost all the way, much like she had done to him earlier, then squeezed right back, pumping at a leisurely pace, holding himself back, just to torment her. Astrid shuddered with every deep drive, her breasts swaying with every tense rock of their bodies, one of his hands gripping her thigh to pull her against him each time, the other still against her back, holding her still. They became locked in a slow rock, back and forth over the floor, trembling and panting. He used the hand over her thigh to flick her clit a little, making her stiffen and cry out, the already rising heat exacerbated by his wicked fingers, forcing a fresh flood of saturated need to spurt from her.

Hiccup did this a few times and Astrid quickly found herself being driven insane by it. She shook and moaned shamelessly with every slow lunge into her, with every occasional tease of his fingers over her glistening clit. Her head hung, giving her a good view of his sweat-slicked legs behind her spread thighs, keeping them apart, as he pumped in and out of her trembling slit. Hiccup curled and wiggled his finger again, making her whine as she clenched a little around him, but it wasn't enough. "Hiccup... _Hiccup_... _Ohh_..! Please, babe..! Go- _ooh_..! _F-Faster_..!" she cried, loving but needing the torment to end, the unresolved sexual tension making it difficult to stay sane.

Hiccup hummed in mock thought. "In a minute..." he murmured, having too much fun to end this too quickly and still needing to prove he wouldn't just let her walk all over him. He wondered why he never thought of doing this with her before, seeing how much of a hit it was with her. Hiccup knew well of her not so secret liking to occasionally being dominated by him, which was about the only reason she was letting him do whatever he damn well pleased at the moment.

Normally he didn't spend this much time getting her completely soaked, mostly because they often didn't have that much time, but occasionally he tried different things, tried to see how long he could keep her aroused... so he intended to milk this opportunity given to him to the very end. The secure knowledge that she would get him back for this, just spurred him on, wanting this time to be as long and pleasurably tortuous for her as possible, to give her incentive to 'punish' him after. The thought nearly made him ejaculate right then, forcing himself to slow down again, moaning as he struggled to control himself. After over a year of practice, it was safe to say he was now adept at holding back. Gods he loved the sexual competitions they had.

Hiccup continued to toy with her, his hand that had been on her thighs tormenting her clit went back up to one of her nipples, rubbing her as he continued to slide her back and forth over the floor, into his body, until she couldn't take it anymore, spasming with dozens of miniature orgasms that drove her out of her mind. Astrid felt her world flush with agonizing pleasure and sobbed softly, arms and legs shaking where she desperately held herself up, wet arousal spilling over his cock and onto her thighs again.

After a few more torturing minutes of this, Hiccup alternating between squeezing and rubbing each nipple, then going back to pressing into her clit in time with every calculated thrust, Astrid couldn't handle it anymore, needing him to properly fuck her or she'd go insane. "Hiccup, if _you don't_... use it... you'll _lose it_..!" she barked weakly. "Under...stand...? I'll- _huu_..!" her body shook, pleasure continuously pulsing through her with his deliberately aching pace, angling himself so he grated on her clit each time. "I-I will... cut it off my _self_..!" she moaned, trying to sound as threatening as she could as she swayed back and forth on her hands and knees, beads of sweat gliding down her body.

That threat wasn't very convincing to him though. How could it be, when her thighs were so soaked, when she quivered so hotly, when she couldn't stop moaning, when she desperately tried to rock back into his pumping hips to take more of him in? Astrid cried in need, trembling as she took it again and again. "Oh gods... _Oh gods.._!"she moaned urgently, feeling another hot wave of pleasure wrack her body, another achingly insignificant orgasm spilling over her sodden legs and making them shake violently as she convulsed with barely reached relief.

Hiccup pressed harder, grunting as he continued to thrust in and out of her, keeping her pinned beneath him. He hummed in thought again, being purposefully difficult, moaning softly for her. "No you- _ahh..._ won't," his face contorted in pleasure and little bit of pain, doing everything he could to keep himself at that pace. "You like... my parts too much to... hurt them..." he grinned back smugly. Shuddering as she clenched around him again, moaning with each profound crack of his hips against her. Needing to prove his point, Hiccup pushed in as far as he could go and began to grind into her for several seconds, bringing her to the edge of orgasm once again, making her yowl with need.

" _Huuh..! H-Hicu-uuh..!"_ Astrid shook hard, crying and whining as yet another rush of flutters made her inner walls clasp down again and again onto his continually plundering shaft inside her.

"S-See..?" Hiccup moaned, lips parted, panting as he struggled to keep himself deep inside her, rubbing his hips harshly against her while sliding his fingers between her legs again.

Astrid cried, moaning in rapture. "S-Son of a... one-legged, half-troll... brothel wench!" she cursed him as colorfully as ever, whining in desperation but unable to get him to budge as he continued to grind hotly into her. "H-Hiccup, if- _ahh_..." he ground hard again, jostling his cock inside her body. She took several moments to pant and fight to control her voice. "I-If... you don't... _do this_ properly... r-right... r-ight _nn-_ now-I...I'll... _haah.._!" she couldn't continue her threat then when he pushed onto her clit, pinching a nipple at the same time with his other hand. She was once again overcome with pleasure, her inner muscles clamping down weakly. " _Mmng_..!" she grit her teeth, but it was useless to try and contain her cries.

Astrid bit her lip hard then, still trying to muffle herself, trying to stop herself from squealing too loudly and ruining her effort to resist him, eyes rolling when he reached over further and tapped his finger into her clit repeatedly again. For the countless time just within that hour, Hiccup forced her to orgasm just a little, even as he resumed pumping into her. If there was one thing Hiccup Haddock was now _excellent_ at, it was keeping Astrid in a heightened state of sexual frustration. "O _oh_..." she arched back, panting hard as her walls flickered hotly around the throbbing meat inside her. "... _Hiccup_..." she panted. "If you... don't hurry ' _the fuck_ ' up... I'll make you... _suffer_ for it..!" she snarled at him, trying not to laugh at her own pun, trying to keep herself sounding threatening. She had a reputation to keep as a badass, after all.

Hiccup chuckled at her weak joke and groaned in both pleasure and frustration, deciding it was time, then finally obeyed. He pushed on her back until her breasts and cheek rested against the floor. Astrid panted harshly, nearly orgasming again with anticipation. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her, holding her steady, and leaned further against her. Then, trapping her beneath him, he drew his cock out, before plunging it hard into her, making her feel it in her chest. Hiccup began to rut her fast and as deep as he could go each time, grunting and moaning as he did. Astrid sobbed and cried for him, unable to do much in her utterly submissive position but gush thickly around his thrusting length again and scrape her nails over the floor in desperation as he claimed her.

Hiccup groaned and shouted as he smacked into her, knowing she didn't mind him being rough. His breaths left him hard and fast, sweat sliding down him, his grip tight over her hips as he shoved into her until she was a writhing, helpless bundle of nerves beneath him, chanting his name as he made her orgasm brutally. Astrid loved it when he asserted himself and possessed her like this. When Hiccup Haddock let himself go, it was unbelievably hot. Unfortunately, or fortunately if she was being honest, she would still have to get him back for this anyway. In the meantime, Astrid struggled to not lose her mind, blinded from the smothering, ravenous pleasure running through her.

Hiccup stiffened hard, whining at the feel of her clasping down so tightly and so wetly around his engorged cock, listening to her wail against the floor in ecstasy. He howled seconds later, shoving into her harder before stopping abruptly, holding his hips flush against her ass, his swollen balls digging between her thighs, eyes screwed shut, teeth gritted, brows drawn. Astrid cried and whimpered in pleasure, toes curling, feeling him release his burning seed fast and deep inside her. They remained still for a moment, his body still firmly molded over hers, trapping her against the floor, his length pulsating and hot inside her as he finished, jerking slightly every now and then. Astrid panted, pinned to the floor on her knees beneath his body, eyes fluttering closed in erotic bliss, tingling all over as she felt him finally relax.

Hiccup sighed in ardent relief, and pulled away wetly shortly after, not caring how drenched the floor was. Hearing Astrid still struggling to recover, he rubbed her back soothingly, before scooping her up, making her gasp in surprise again. He smiled at her and carried her back to his bed, gently laying her over it before climbing in with her. They lay together with deep satisfaction, curled around each other. Hiccup sighed again and then grinned. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be good to go again... unless you wants to try and run off again?" he added dryly.

Astrid laughed in amusement and shook her head. "Oh don't worry. I don't have any intention of _escaping_ you again," she smiled. "Also... it won't take a minute..." she leered, then proceeded to run her hands over his body.

Hiccup groaned in pleasure. "Are you... going to punish me now?" he asked curiously.

Astrid smirked and shook her head. "Not tonight. I'll make you sweat a little first," she told him. Hiccup smiled and nodded, then moaned again as she slid her hand over his equipment, massaging his balls gently as she worked him back to stiffness. After a bit, when he was good and hard again, he quickly rolled over her, not giving her a chance to take over. From the giggle she gave him, he was content in the knowledge that she was still letting him have his way. He wrapped her legs around his hips and quickly sunk right back into her again, making her gasp and moan, starting all over again. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him tightly as he went to work.

After over a month without each other, neither of them had any intentions of leaving the bed for a while.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** I make no apology for the song if you listened to it lol, it fit so well. First line of dialogue is from "Darkness Falls", as well as the outpost planning bit. Hiccup is in for some sexy punishment of his own in the future for this. Tsk tsk, bad boy, taking her on her hands and knees like the animal he is, haha. Is it just me or are my smut scenes getting dirtier each time? This story, just so you're fully aware, has as much sex as Game of Thrones... and probably just a risque lmao. I hope that's what you _ came _here for lol._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Mia:** Of course she does, don't be silly, I've been working the story up to her trip to the future the entire time, haha._

 _ **OechsnerC:** Sorry but the whole premise of this story is Astrid catching up to her experiences. I'm keeping it pretty canon to RTTE throughout. That's what this story is about, but it doesn't mean I can't write my own version of RTTE at some point in the future either. Although, I have a pretty decent faith in DreamWorks that they'll tie in the series and the movie, so I'm not too concerned._

 _ **wikelia:** At least she knows what to expect, eh?_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight:** Nah, the plot is pretty straight-forward, not much change... though she will be taking every advantage she can to make up for all the missed opportunities with him last time!_

 _ **M3CH3RZ:** Glad you think so. It'd also be kinda boring to read when you can just watch it, right? Speaking of which, pretty soon I'm going to be "forced" to watch the show again to get facts right, poor me, right? Lol._

 _ **Just:** I'm happy you liked it!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"Jdnt" by Glass Animals._

* * *

It had been about a week since Astrid let Hiccup have his wicked way with her.

A week had past after that night full of reconnecting with each other, though it was still fondly circling both their thoughts. That night they had basically officially christened pretty much every inch of Hiccup's hut, since he hadn't exactly let her leave until the next day either. There wasn't one spot in his hut that night that she hadn't found herself pressed against with him firmly inside her, one way or another. If there was ever a time to need a week away from Hiccup, it had been that week, only so that she could regain the ability to walk straight.

When she had first started out basically training the shyness and hesitance out of Hiccup, and fanning his eagerness into a blazing fire, she hadn't actually realized how overwhelming he would become. That trip to the future hadn't really prepared her as much as she thought it did. That saying that it was always the quiet ones that snapped the loudest was really very true for Hiccup Haddock. He was like an unassuming valley that no one suspected had a deadly caldera beneath it, until he exploded into a raging volcano.

In any case, Astrid had used that time away from Hiccup's arms to both recover and to be a bit more constructive around Dragon's Edge. She was glad he didn't protest one bit, though she would sometimes catch him trailing his eyes over her and sending her smoldering looks. Hiccup must have forgotten that she would pay him back for that night... which just made this so much sweeter for her. If Hiccup was a volcano, Astrid was a silent tsunami ready to crush in and wipe you out... and Astrid had every intention of drowning Hiccup in pleasure like he had done for her. Yes, that night had been a torture, but it had been a torture of consummate ecstasy, constant and intense, so it was only fair that Hiccup got the same treatment, was it not?

While trying to figure out the best methods to make Hiccup scream for mercy, Astrid went out to take care of various tasks for their outpost. She went on hunting trips with Stormfly and occasionally Snotlout if he wasn't being an idiot, went foraging with Fishlegs, and established and laid down safe trails through the island. She then worked on building up her sanctuary in the woods, marked out spots for new watch towers, and scoured the island for weak spots to strengthen. As Hiccup second in command over the riders, despite no one ever having actually established the line of command but accepting it anyway, her job consisted of supporting Hiccup, handling defenses, planning offenses with Hiccup if it ever got that far, and keeping the other riders in line. This meant she spent a lot of time both flying around to one end of the island to the other and also making sure the others weren't causing mayhem, intentionally or not.

That afternoon, after spending most of the day marking sites for new defensive structures, Astrid walked back into the outpost. As she made her way over to the dome to drop off some extra bit of lumber she and Stormfly had gathered, she noticed Hiccup trying to coax Smidvarg to listen to him. She dropped off the wood and pat her Deadly Nadder over the cheek affectionately, letting her go play, and walked over to the 'green-eyed devil'. "Hey, Hiccup. What's going on?" she asked curiously, seeing the few Night Terrors ambling about. "And what's with the Night Terrors?"

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup greeted back, his tone showing signs of exasperation. "I've been trying to get these guys to use those lookout posts we set up, but they don't quite want to listen to me."

"That's strange, they're usually pretty cooperative," Astrid's brow rose and went over to scratch Smidvarg under the chin, earning a pleased trill. "What's up, big guy, not feeling like training today?" she cooed at him affectionately, smiling when he nuzzled against her hand happily. It was amazing how cat or dog-like dragons were once you earned their trust.

Hiccup rubbed his neck, looking off into the distance thoughtfully. "I don't get it. Last week they were just fine, then Tuffnut... oh..." Hiccup let out a frustrated sigh. "You know I think I figured it out. Tuffnut had been, let's just say, giving them extra-curricular training. A lot of useless tricks and giving them treats when they did what he wanted. That's probably the problem..."

Astrid glanced up. "What? That they're used to being rewarded?"

Hiccup shrugged. "That and probably being trained by Tuffnut of all people..." he huffed in agitation. Hiccup had no problem sharing training duties, he just wished the twins would take things seriously sometimes.

Snotlout landed with Hookfang then, just on time to hear Hiccup all but begging Smidvarg to pay attention. "Still at it?" he sneered, earning a scowl from his cousin. "Thor Bonecrusher would have made them submit and listen..." he almost pouted, thinking back fondly over that incident a few weeks ago. Hiccup rolled his eyes and continued to try to get the dragons to listen. It was amazing how attached the little dragons had become to the twins.

"Alright, I guess there's no choice really..." Hiccup scoffed.

Astrid smiled a little. "Want me to go get the twins?" she asked, knowing they'd most likely obey her command more readily over Hiccup's softer approach.

"Would you?" He smiled back.

Astrid nodded and headed out, finding Stormfly playing with Toothless some ways back and giving both of them a scratch under the chin. "Sorry Toothless, gotta borrow my girl for a bit," she said, hopping onto her saddle. "I think Hiccup could use some help getting the Night Terrors to stay put though," she grinned at him. Toothless warbled thoughtfully and bounded off to find his rider. Astrid took off with Stormfly then in search of the twins. She had found them kicking a sheep around. They didn't keep much livestock around, though they did take a few sheep from Sven with his permission for milk to make sheep cheese and wool and some boars for obvious reasons. It didn't take much to get them to listen to her, a few non-violent threats here and there and they went with her.

They weren't really that surprised that the Night Terrors would listen to Tuffnut, especially when he showed them the smoked boar jerky he used to entice them. They were however surprised by how cooperative Tuffnut was to get the job done and convince the dragons to use the specially designed lookout towers for them. Chicken was of course as jealous as ever, which had been both weird and amusing to watch. They spent the day wrangling the Night Terrors and teaching them about the little towers, letting Smidvarg show them how it was done once he finally agreed to use them.

Astrid had so far not sensed much tension from Hiccup the past few days, but maybe it was how closely she stood by him, how much she smiled at him, whatever the case, he seemed more interested that day. As they went through the little Night Terror training sessions, Hiccup used every opportunity to touch Astrid, mostly innocently in front of their friends, but the looks he sent her spoke volumes of his desires for her. He really didn't have an off-switch, did he? Astrid decided tonight was the night to get him back.

At the clubhouse that evening, after spending most of the day training dragons and being mostly successful, and bribing Stormfly and Toothless to stay in the stables that night, Astrid set her plan in motion. First she would fluster him, then enthrall him, and finally drag him off and teach him a lesson. Sitting in her seat across the room, Astrid used a few methods she knew to draw his attention, tapping her nail a certain way he knew of, clearing her throat a number of times. Like every other time, they did the trick. Hiccup sensed the attempts to catch his attention, as well as the looks Astrid was giving him. Glancing up, he immediately began to squirm at the way she was looking at him. Yep, he was in trouble.

Astrid watched him glance over at her a few times while they all sat and ate dinner. Neither of them were really paying attention to the conversation being had by the others, being much more interested in each other at the moment. Astrid narrowed her eyes a little at him across the room, crossing her legs and tilting her head. Hiccup nearly knocked his mug over, making her having to try hard not to laugh. She rubbed her bottom lip then, wondering how she could make him suffer the most. Hiccup looked her way for a second again, eyes shooting right to her finger stroking her lip, and blush and looks away. Seconds later her glanced back and followed the motion.

Astrid suddenly got an idea and purposefully licks her finger, letting her tongue slide right up to the tip, then pushing it into her mouth suggestively. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, then opened them, pulled her finger out of her mouth wetly, and sent him a half-lidded, lustful stare. Hiccup's mouth fell open a little, his eyes widen and his pupils completely dilated. He bit his lip then to keep the whimper from escaping and rubbed a hand through his hair. Astrid bit her own lip and grinned, glancing around to make sure no one was really looking at her still. They didn't usually resort to this kind of seduction, especially not when their friends were around, but Astrid had to admit it was extremely successful.

Assured that no one saw the obvious erotically suggestive gesture, Astrid grinned again in satisfaction when Hiccup visually slid himself closer to the table, no doubt hiding his growing hard-on. Tapping at her table again to get him to look at her. She had intended on doing something similar again, but had to instead take a long drink from her mug when one of the twins looked her way to answer Fishlegs when he asked something. Fishlegs was seating further in front of her with her toward the back of the room, giving her a clear view of everyone, but it also meant they could spot her easily too if they turned their heads.

When they turned their heads away again, Astrid noted that Hiccup was still glancing over at her every now and then. Astrid smiled a little behind her mug and decided to use the liquid to her advantage. She took another drink, leaving some water in her mouth, then pulled the mug away and let it run down the sides of her mouth, down her neck as she put the mug down. She tilted her head back again, letting him see the trail of liquid running down her neck. She gave him another smoldering look of arousal and dragged her hands down her throat. Hiccup's face and neck turned bright red and he had to look away again. Astrid grinned once more. Oh yes, this would be fun, and the idea of having him hot and hard was making her squirm in her own seat with anticipation.

The night just seemed to drag on. Astrid didn't stop her seduction for a second, watching him steadily get more and more aroused the more she did. It was working on her just as hard though and she found herself squirming in her seat. The burning between her thighs was becoming intense, imagining him deep inside her, throbbing and wet. She let her fantasies of him get carried away, squeezed her legs together to help her entice him. Her face was flushed, her own eyes as black as the night sky, nipples hard and pushing on her shirt. By now they were undressing each other with their eyes, hanging on to their seats as though their lives depended on it.

Finally, their friends decided to call it a night, thankfully still completely oblivious to the erotic mating dance between their two leaders. Astrid took her mug again and gestured with her head for Hiccup to go first, eyeing his armor a second before flicking her eyes back to his. Fortunately he seemed to understand. He took a second to make sure their friends were gone, and stepped away from the table. Astrid held back her moan of desire when she saw how hard he was, nearly pushing the edge of his armor up. The thrumming between her legs was ever worse now, but she knew it would take a while that night for her to get to truly feel relief, not that she really minded too much.

Astrid watched him head out and then went over to her own hut. She removed her armor and took her hair out of her braid, knowing how much he loved running his fingers through her tresses. As an added bonus, she removed her bindings, but put her outer clothes back on, knowing it would drive him crazy. Smiling in her mirror, she ruffled her hair a little, giving her a bit of the slept-in, or thoroughly sexed look. She laughed a little at herself, amused by the lengths she went for him, and loving how devastating her efforts turned out to be. Once she was done getting ready, Astrid took another moment to calm down, not wanting to be so worked up she took him too soon, then she headed out, creeping through the outpost and making sure no one was watching her sneak into Hiccup's hut.

Astrid calmly slid into her boyfriend's hut, smiling with satisfaction that she didn't find the Night Fury there, relieved that Toothless was fond enough of her to listen to her and stay at the stables that night. She went up to Hiccup's loft and found him removing his wrist bracers, his armor already off him. Good, that would make this easier on both of them. "Hiccup," she addressed him, letting her voice dip into a seductive purr.

Hiccup spun around and flushed instantly at the look of lust she was giving him, watching her sway her hips as she walked over to him, seeing the determination in her eyes. His mouth hung open a little again, his own eyes dazed. "Oh Thor..." he murmured as she approaches him. Her hand lifted up when he attempted to walk over to her, halting his steps.

"Nuh-uh, babe," she smiled impishly. "Don't move a muscle unless I give you permission, understand?" she purred.

Hiccup felt a shudder run through him. "Yes, milady," he agreed.

Astrid smiled and placed her hand on his chest, gently pushing him back until he walked backwards toward his bed. "I haven't forgotten what you did the other day, making me beg like that... well, it's my turn now to do the same for you..." she murmured softly. Hiccup whimpered a little, letting her push him down onto his bed, standing by him. He watched breathlessly as she slid her hands down his body. She removed his prosthetic first, laying it to the side, then leaned over him and pushed his tunic up and off him, laying a soft kiss over the swell of his abs down to the little hairs that disappeared below his pants, feeling his belly quiver in pleasure. Hiccup panted a little, his eyes fixed on her and feeling utterly overwhelmed with anticipation.

Astrid smiled a little up at him again and worked at his breaches until she pulled them open, lovingly kissing over his bulge under his covering and feeling him jerk slightly. "Be still, babe," she murmured against him, feeling him struggle to obey. She then carefully tugged his pants off, careful not to touch his swell as she did. Once she managed to pull them off him, she worked his covering off. Astrid sighed in pleasure at the pleasing sight she was met with, seeing him still very aroused, very erect and almost visibly throbbing with need.

Hiccup squirmed a little. "A-Astrid, Astrid _please_..." he moaned softly, seeing the mischievous look in her eyes. "Take pity on me... you wouldn't let a poor, one-legged Viking suffer, would you..?" he asked half playfully, half actually hoping she wouldn't make him scream too much.

Astrid chuckled at the weak attempt to get her to be merciful. "Hiccup Haddock, after what you did to me, do you really think that's going to work? You know I can't do that..." she grinned, making him whimper again and thoroughly enjoying the pleading look in his eyes. Oh yes, it was her turn to make him beg. She pulled herself off him then and began to strip, watching his eyes widen when he realized she was missing her bindings and grinned when she saw him shiver violently, a pained look in his eyes at how aroused he was.

Astrid pushed her hand over his chest and gave him a look that told him to be still. She straddled his legs, slides herself down his body to get a good perch and angle. She smirked a little, watching his throat bob slightly, then leaned down. She parted her lips, eyes on his, and let her tongue poke out, pressing it gently against his stiff erection. Hiccup panted where he lay, unable to look away from her, watching her take her time teasing him, licking her way from the base of his cock, right up to the tip, nice and slow. Hiccup squirmed and moaned in frustration. Astrid paused and lifted a brow, almost sensing him fight to not throw her down and take her. That wouldn't do. "Hiccup, I want you to be completely still. If you make a single move to try to take over, I'll leave, got it?" she warned him.

Hiccup let out a shaky breath. "Astrid..." he whined. "Okay... I promise," he groaned.

Astrid nodded in approval, knowing he never broke a promise. "Good boy," she smiled and leaned back down, taking his now wet cock in her hand, squeezing just a little and feeling him pulse hotly in her palm. She then began to pump him nice and slow, sliding her hand down to his hips, then dragging it back up slowly, making him pant and moan softly. Astrid made sure she did this as methodically and rhythmic as she could, mirroring what he might feel thrusting slowly into her to drive her insane. She knew it got to him when he did that too, but he was satisfied with the fact he was making her cry for him... now he didn't have that to hang onto, only the tormenting pleasure it brought him.

"Astrid..." Hiccup moaned in tortured need, throbbing so hard it hurt a little. "Please..."

Astrid shook her head at him, smiling as she toyed with him a little more. "Not enough, babe," she cooed and began to twist her hand a little, squeezing the tip on her way up a little, her thumb flicking the center every now and then.

" _Ohh_..! Oh gods, _Astrid_..!" Hiccup ground out, shaking hard beneath her, moaning with each deliberate pump. Astrid decided to be a little merciful and increased the speed of her strokes, taking both her hands then to pump him, one on his shaft, the other rubbing the head of his cock. Astrid pumped him hard until he almost couldn't hold it back anymore, knuckles white where he held onto the bed, body stiff and head rolled back in ecstasy. She knew he was very close to his orgasms, so she stopped. Hiccup whipped his head over to her, his face contorted in pain and need. "Astrid! Astrid _please_! D-Don't! So... so close... _please_..." he gasped and begged her as she held him still.

Astrid smiled at him reassuringly. " _Easy_ , Hiccup, relax," she told him, then slid back a little and leaned down, taking the bulbous head of his wildly pulsating length between her lips, her eyes fixed on his, and sucked hard on it.

Hiccup felt sharp, agonizing pleasure shoot through his cock and up his spine. Astrid grinned as best she could and started lapping and dragging her tongue over it, wiggling into the center. Hiccup couldn't take it anymore and threw back his head, doing everything he could not to scream out her name in ecstasy, moaning desperately as he orgasmed hard. Astrid pat his thigh to make him look back at her, making him watch as she kept her mouth firmly over him, holding his hips down as she suckled on him, making him watch as she swallowed everything he had to give. Hiccup moaned in rapture at the sight, trembling where he lay. Astrid waited until he was done, keeping her lips locked over him until he relaxed, then licked him clean as she pulled away.

Hiccup panted hard below her. Astrid smiled and leaned over again, kissing his belly and working her way up slowly, worshiping his body. She couldn't get enough of him, of the fine little scars littering his torso, of his carefully compact muscles, of his warm, spicy skin, now heated to a pleasant though almost feverish burn. Hiccup groaned, wanting so badly to pull her into his arms and hold her, but stayed still. Astrid licked, nipped, and kissed her way up. She dragged her tongue over the swell in his neck and kissed her way to nibble on his earlobe, whispering what she wanted to do to him in his ear. Hiccup moaned weakly.

Astrid took a moment to lay over him, her hands sliding over his body, her lips kissing him wherever she could, but avoided his lips. She knew how easily he could take control over the situation with his kisses, so she didn't dare kiss him, no matter how much she yearned to do so. Deciding she had given him enough time, she smiled and worked her way back down his body, making sure to rub her breasts over him, moaning softly at the feel of her hard nipples scraping over his solid body. "Astrid..." he whimpered. By the time she reached his cock again, he was once again fully erect.

Astrid settled back over him, sliding her hands up and down his thighs a little. "Remember babe, don't move, or I stop... okay?"

"Yes... yes..." Hiccup moaned out, once again trembling beneath her.

Astrid nodded and leaned back over, teasing him a little again. "Watch me, Hiccup, don't look away," she murmured, dragging her bottom lip over the head over his cock again. She kissed the tip, resting her lips over it for a second, and watched him gape and groan urgently. Astrid grinned and slipped her lips over him, flicking her tongue a little over him for a moment, listening to him whine, before going down on him slowly, up and down, taking in more of him each time, pulling out and dragging her tongue over his cock head again, making sure to alternate. Hiccup gasped and moaned in pleasurable agony, nearly losing his mind, jerking up for a second.

Astrid shoved him back down when he tried to buck his hips, and sent him a warning look. Hiccup bit his lip and struggled to keep himself still, unable to stop the constant little moans from leaving his throat at that point. Once Astrid was sure he wouldn't try to help himself, she continues on, increasing speed. Her eager tongue thrust against his heated flesh with each bob of her head, her eyes still glued to him, making sure to moan every now and then, though honestly feeling herself in a constant state of arousal at that point. She made sure to suckle on the head each time she pulls up, lapping up his precum as he drew closer to the edge. Hiccup moans desperately through clenched teeth and ripped at his bed beneath him, shaking and panting.

Astrid shut her eyes for a moment, moaning with desire, imagining he was deep inside her, feeling him swelling hot and thick. She let herself hum and moan, the vibration of her needy sounds shooting through him, making him viciously cry out her name. She took his balls in her hand then and gently squeezing, sucking hard, pressing firmly over his bulging head. Hiccup yowled out, unable to keep his cry back for a second, fighting to not scream as he went off then. He struggled to not thrust up, cried and whined in desperation, nails digging into the bed as she held him down, his legs twisting beneath where she sat against him. Astrid made sure he didn't try to move his hips, knowing it would make it so much harder for him, keeping his cock firmly inside her mouth once more.

Hiccup shook hard where he lay, blush down to his chest, brows furrowed, eyes bulging out, muscles tense, and teeth tightly clenched. As he was orgasming hot and hard, he continued to keep his eyes on her as she asked him too, vision blurred with lust, but able to watch in complete captivation as she once again didn't remove her mouth from him, swallowing and moaning with desire against his shaft, letting the vibrations rock his world. Hiccup shuddered violently again, hips twitching where she held him down, moaning at the sight, panting where he lay helplessly until he was good and finished.

Once he was done, Astrid finally pulled away, dragging her tongue over him to clean him up as she went, removing her mouth messily from his shaft, and sat back to admired her handiwork, seeing him broken and weak beneath her. His limbs were twitching but splayed beneath her, his lips parted as he stared at her dazedly. Astrid smiled and purposefully made a show of slowly licking her lips. "Your punishment isn't quite over yet," she said in a needy moan. Hiccup shivered again, staring transfixed at her.

Astrid then slid herself further up his lap. "Don't look away for a second," she told him. Hiccup whimpered but obeyed, watching her begin to slide her hands over her body, her fingers tracing over the swells of her breasts, palms pressing over them, trailing her way to her nipples. Hiccup gaped lustfully, watching her squeeze the rosy peaks and whimper his name. "Hiccup..." she sighed, letting her eyes shut for a second. "Oh babe..." she moaned, knowing her moans drove him just as crazy as his did for her. She lid a hand down her belly then, lifting herself up a little where she straddled him for better access, and pushed her finger between her folds. "Hiccup... Hiccup..." she moaned his name, panting softly as she pleasured herself, flicking her clit and shuddering in pleasure.

Hiccup twisted slightly, whining and shuddering, reaching for her. "Astrid... please... Astrid..." he moaned.

Astrid literally slapped his hand away. "B-Behave..." she panted out. "D-Don't try... to- _ahh_..!" her eyes rolled a little when she managed to strike against her clit in just the right way, feeling a little orgasm roll through her hotly. "Don't try to... help me... n-no matter... what I say..." she moaned, pressing down on him to spread her arousal over his thighs, grinning wickedly at him.

"Oh gods..." Hiccup groaned out, seeing his skin glisten slightly with her wetness. He groaned as he watched her pant and moan for him, stroking herself, pushing her fingers into herself, gripping her nipple with her other hand. Astrid prolonged her pleasure to give Hiccup enough time to get hard again.

Astrid cried out, feeling another orgasm flush over her, making her drip over her thighs and onto him. " _Hiccup_! _Ohh_..! Hiccup _ple-ease_..." she purposefully begged him, pretending she was in agony and needed him badly... even though it wasn't that far off.

Hiccup was helpless to do anything, now once again agonizingly erect. He groaned in exasperation when she then began to rock her body right up against him. She pushed herself right up to the base of his rigid cock, again and again, coating him with her arousal each time she swiped herself onto him. Hiccup panted, teeth gritted in frustration, eyes pleading. "Astrid..." he begged. "Need... I _need you_... please..." he whined.

Astrid shuddered at the heated looks he was giving her. She panted and moaned, imagining it was his fingers wiggling inside her, feeling his now rock hard shaft as she ground against him. "H-Hiccu- _uuh_..." she moaned out his name needfully, fantasizing him disobeying her, grabbing her, and shoving her down onto him. She imagined him working his cock hard, thrusting and grinding into her until she came screaming. "Hiccup..! _Oh gods_... _oh gods_... please babe..! _Hiccup_..!" she cried desperately, pounding heat so bad it blurred her sight and had her gasping his name.

The fantasy was so much stronger with him so hot and erect against her. This was just as much of a torture to her as it was for him, this time truly feeling like she needed him badly and keeping herself away from him was just making it worse. Biting her lip, she lifted herself a little and pushed over the tip of his throbbing shaft, scraping it against her clit, at the same time making him howl in need. She slid back down, dragging her way down his pulsing, heated erection.

The sexually tormenting mental punishment, as well as her own erotic actions finally did its job, despite how hard she tried to hold off. Unable to stop it, her orgasm clawed its way through her brutally. She bit her lip hard, body lurching over his, trying desperately to muffle her wail. "Hiccup!" as she cried his name, trembling and grinding hard against him. She threw her head back then, sobbing and whining for him, pushing her breasts out with the action, pressing her soaked, inflamed sex right against his pulsating cock as she finished.

Hiccup felt her gushing all over him and shook painfully. "Astrid! _Astrid_! Please! _Please_!" he begged, panting and straining beneath her. " _Please_!" he cried, pleading for mercy. Astrid's mouth hung open, her head still tilted back as she shuddered, feeling herself slowly come down from her rapture. Her eyes fluttered a little as she titled her head back down to him, seeing him clawing at the bed, whining and struggling to remain still over the bed. "Please..." he whimpered, begging again. Astrid smiled weakly back down at him, appreciating that he was still not trying to take control. Taking a breath to calm down again, she slid over him again, and very slowly pressed her wet sex onto his cock, hissing as she squeezed him in, lowering herself down onto him. "Astrid..! Astrid..!" he moaned out, gasping and crying in ecstasy, nearly going off in that second.

Astrid shuddered again, then began to drag herself up and down every inch of his glorious length, savoring the feeling of him so rigid, so hot, and so very much hers. She leaned back a little and began to ride him hard then, hopping up and down his lap with loud slaps each time. Hiccup yowled and twisted beneath her but continued to obediently do all he could not to grab her and take over, not wanting her to stop, not ever wanting her to stop. As she worked him, Astrid continued to forbid him to move, praising him for being good. She rolled her hips hard, forcing her clit to scrape against him with each rock, moaning and whining, her legs tightening around his hips.

She paused for a second then, reaching under her to caress his balls for a moment. Hiccup threw back his head, chanting her name and begging her. Astrid leaned over him again and continued, driving herself into him fast, rolling her hips purposefully, bouncing herself up and down until he was clawing at the bed with frantic desperation. Astrid moaned and cried right back, continuing to beg him but holding him down. Their pleasure was almost synchronized, forcing them both to orgasm at nearly the same time then. Astrid squealed as she went off and sat down hard on him, keeping him firmly inside her, moaning long and hard as her inner muscles clasped down eagerly around him, trapping him inside her. Her eyes rolled as he cried out her name.

Hiccup had to bite his lip hard to keep his shout from alerting everyone on Dragon's Edge, ejaculating hard and thick into her, his teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut tight again. Astrid's head tilted back a little again, panting, watching him through barely opened eyes as he convulsed and held onto the bed tightly. She bit her lip and groaned softly, relishing the feel of him releasing hotly inside of her, feeling him throbbing deep between her thighs until the end. When he was good and finished again, and finally relaxed, she pulled herself off his hips and laid beside him with a satisfied hum.

Once they caught their breaths, Hiccup let himself slump against the bed. He pushed himself up a bit then to appraise her. "I'm... not going to... let your stubborn pride... turn me into some weak little boy... helpless to you, you know," he panted softly. "I'm not a plaything... well, not all the time," he amended with a grin. "Love is a battlefield, milady, and I don't intend on simply losing," he warned her.

Astrid laughed softly at the threat, running her fingers through her hair. "Oh I know," she agreed. "I also know you're not weak... and _certainly_ not _little_ ," she grinned back. "If you think you have what it takes, bring it," she challenged him.

Hiccup shuddered and sighed in pleasure. "Oh I will, believe you me... but right now, I have to concentrate on getting the feeling to my legs back..." he smiled.

Astrid lifted herself up a little to face him and smirked down at him. "You're going to have to wait your turn, babe. I'm not quite through yet with you tonight..." she purred seductively once again. Hiccup swallowed thickly and laid back against the bed as she slid back over him, whimpering excitedly.

Astrid had no intention of letting him go so easily that night...

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Didn't I tell you guys Astrid wouldn't stay submissive? Sure, a dominant Hiccup is sexy, but a helplessly aroused Hiccup is hot too, lol._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **TheDragonsKnight:** Thank you! Yeah it helps to have all your chapters summarized and full of detail... the story sort of writes itself. It also means I know what'll happen throughout and I don't have to think about what to write._

 _ **Me:** Thanks! And I know what you mean, I kind of wish they split up preferences... but then there would be irritating people complaining about segregation or some BS like that. Anyway, this story is AU too, since none of this happened in the actual show, it's just set in the proper traditional setting._

 _ **metalgoddess:** Thanks! Yeah he totally is lol. I might be exaggerating it a little, but it's kinda too much fun to stop!_

 _ **M3CH3RZ:** I totally am going to write that episode! At least, Astrid's point of view and a behind the scenes of it afterwards..._

 _ **Same:** I'm glad they pointed that out because it completely slipped my mind. I guess I just don't think about people missing limbs! Yes there will be some bonding between Astrid and Toothless and of course I'll expand on Astrid and Heather's "bromance", they're awesome._

 _ **Mia:** What'd you think? Punished well enough? Hehe._

 _ **Any:** Thank you so much for letting me know! I missed that little detail. As soon as you mentioned it I grabbed my phone and edited it right then haha._

 _ **Haddockwarriorr:** Lol so needy!_

 _ **choochoo420:** I just might do that!_

 _ **wikelia:** And he's a lot of fun to write! But Astrid is pretty dominant too, so she won't just sit back and take it all the time lol. _

_**Resisting-Moonlight:** He's the only person probably in the world that can make her beg, haha. Nah... no one heard... well... maybe hehe, I'm not saying anything lol. _

_**Boob:** Thank you! Happy you're enjoying it. _

_**LadyCoraa:** Wahaha! That's totally my goal! If you can't look at Hiccup the same way after reading this story, then it's a job well done for me, lmao._


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"Fountain" by Iamamiwhoami._

* * *

Sometimes life gave you lemons and what you did with those lemons were up to you. You could choose to make lemonade, go with what life through at you, even if it led to tragedy or just plain irritation... or cut your enemy up and rub the acidic juices into their gaping open wounds.

Sometimes Astrid felt like taking the last option. Normally she wasn't as vindictive or as violent as she might make herself out to be, but there were a few people in the archipelago that could bring that out of her. Snotlout was one of them... and his mini-me, Gustav Larson, was another. That day was going to be one of those days, the shield-maiden knew that the moment she woke up that morning. It had been about three week since Astrid had taken pleasurable revenge on Hiccup, and since then it had been relatively quiet, but that was going to change, it always did.

At the moment, Astrid found herself finishing the final touches to her hut that morning. She had just finished adding decorative notches against the wall near her bed where she hung her axe when she turned and nearly tripped. Glancing down, she blinked in surprise when she found a familiar looking piece of leather below her bed. Curious, she picked it up and then smiled when she recognized it. It was a piece of buckle from Hiccup's armor, a strap she had accidentally torn when she helped him out of his armor last week.

Now _that_ was a funny incident and a pleasant memory. Hiccup had retaliated like he had said he would, after she had paid him back that one night, and things might have gotten a little out of hand. Their little battles over dominance were always intense and always extremely fun for both of them. It wasn't difficult to get Hiccup to submit most of the times, and he usually obeyed her and let her do whatever she wanted to him. He would claw at the bed, twist beneath her, turn completely red, and cry out for mercy. It brought a rush of exhilaration to her every time.

However, he could very much do the same to her. It was surprising how easily he could have her bend to his will. Astrid didn't mind begging him for release as much as she often insisted she did though, mostly because she very much enjoyed the situations he put her in. It helped though that she had subtly and sometimes unintentionally basically instructed him in the best ways to make her crack. It was quite a difference to how he had been when they first started being intimate, and a very welcome development indeed.

It also helped that Hiccup was an extremely retentive person, could remember the finest little details and took many mental notes and _everything_ he did. Hiccup Haddock had the uncanny ability to puzzle through anything he set his mind to and meticulously manipulate whatever he was doing in any way he wanted. He could learn one thing once and improve on it. Such was the case with her... he learned what she liked sought ways to make whatever they were doing better.

That night Hiccup had tugged her to her hut after dinner, a sly smile in place and she guessed that whatever he wanted to do he wanted there to be minimal chance of someone overhearing them, no doubt intending on using said techniques to make her explode. That was one of the main reasons they sometimes retired to her hut... less chances of getting caught while one of them was in the throes of ecstasy. As soon as they got inside, they had their hands all over each other. She had viciously attacked him, pulling his armor off and breaking his lower strap.

To be fair though, it had already been torn from a few crash landing stunts he and Toothless had been trying to preform the past week. Hiccup and Toothless had been becoming more and more reckless lately, doing all sorts of dangerous moves... although, the few Hiccup had taken her on with him to do had been kind of fun, and she could see herself getting into that sort of thing someday. Still, sometimes those two males acted like a bunch of kids. Rolling her eyes fondly, she grabbed it and placed it on her table, figuring Hiccup could think up something to do with it.

After finishing, she stepped out of her hut, intending on heading to her training grounds that morning while things were still a bit mellow at the Edge. They didn't always go out on adventures, so it was nice to have a bit of time to herself. Just then however, she noticed a shape in the sky, a familiar dragon and a tiny rider, rapidly heading over. Odin help her, she recognized that unofficial dragon rider! She had to warn Hiccup! Astrid sped down her ladders and rushed over to Hiccup's hut. She opened the door, only to promptly have the Dragon Eye flash in her face.

"Oh! Astrid class!" Hiccup chuckled, setting the device aside with his customary quirky grin.

Astrid, blinked away the spots the direct light gave her and took only a second to actually notice he was fiddling with it again, but she had more important matters to address. "Hiccup, we have a problem, a _huge_ problem," she began with a tone probably more serious than it really should have been.

All fun and games went out the window. "Dagur?" he questioned, immediately on high alert. If here was one thing that could stir the warrior within Hiccup, it was the threat of an enemy like Dagur the Deranged.

Astrid scoffed inwardly however, almost wishing it was and once again wondering if she was exagerating a bit. "Worse," she dead-panned.

Hiccup's answer was a reasonable one. "What could _possibly_ be worse than Dagur?" he asked in mild exasperation.

Before either of them could say more, a loud rush of wind was heard, followed by a dragon screeching and a voice shouting. "Ahh!" Suddenly a small Monstrous Nightmare flung itself lopsidedly into the hut, crashing right onto Astrid, sending her plummeting to the floor with a groan and earning the intruders her instant irritation. Without a beat said intruder introduced himself. "Gustav!" the younger Viking grinned proudly. Astrid was seconds away from reaching for any inanimate object she could get her hands on and bashing some skulls in.

Hiccup had watched the whole thing in morbid disbelief. He gaped incredulously for a second before addressing the kid. " _Gustav_?!"

"Gustav..." Astrid sighed with resignation where she lay, unable to find anything near her to help soothe her temper. Yes, today would definitely be one of those days.

Hiccup continued to gape for a second longer before fumbling toward his seat behind him, plopping down by his table. "Gustav, _what_ are you doing here?" he demanded, then decided that wouldn't garner the best response from the fiery youth. "I-I mean, to what do we owe the _pleasure_ of this _visit_?" he amended sarcastically.

By that point Astrid had managed to shove herself out from under the adolescent Fanghook, giving him a glare hard enough to make him slink away sheepishly and annoy Toothless instead, then walked over to Hiccup's... amazing sturdy drafting table... and leaned against it casually. She listened in on the amusing, though also a little annoying, conversation between Hiccup, Gustav, and a few seconds later to everyone else as they stumbled inside to deliver the news. As was more of her thing lately, she simply leaned back and listened, her irritation soothed slightly by the fact that she wasn't the only one annoyed by the kid's sudden appearance.

It wasn't that she couldn't stand Gustav, he was nowhere near as bad as Snotlout could get, but he was still an annoying little dweeb. The kid had his moments, but recently he had been all talk about his grand skills and ambitions, but no action to back it up, and that made the shield-maiden have little respect for him. That, and not to mention the extremely irritating crush he had on her, followed by his shameless and very obvious fantasies about her... ugh. Admittedly, watching the kid flounder around blindly after foolishly looking directly into the Dragon Eye was kind of amusing, so at least there was some entertainment to be had out of the situation.

After avoiding being hit by Fanghook's out of control tail, Astrid opted to lean against the wall instead, conveniently putting distance between her and Snotlout as well. Hearing Gustav claim he was moving in was disturbing, to say the very least, but watching Hiccup struggle to try to dissuade the kid against it was funny. Of course... all that stopped being funny a little later, after convincing Gustav to give him time to 'plan it all out', when Hiccup put her in charge of looking after him. All amusement was gone and all she had left was the annoyance, now feeling it toward her suddenly and conveniently flighty boyfriend as well.

Astrid stared at Hiccup disbelievingly where they stood in front of his hut. "Wait a minute, why do _I_ have to watch him?" she demanded irately. Hiccup then went on to explain some very convenient excuse about discovering new things related to the Dragon Eye, some new stuff he found out about that he had to investigate... and apparently could wait a day or two. Breakthroughs, yeah right! He tried to reason with her and explain himself, saying he did promise Gustav to make him a dragon rider, simply didn't expect he'd be around so soon, particularly that day when he had made those plans. "Great... so I'm a _babysitter_ ," she huffed, whirling away from him in a fit of agitation.

"Babysitter?" Hiccup laughed nervously. " _No_ , I mean, come _on_ , he's-he's sixteen?" he tried to reason with her. Astrid's eyes narrowed at his stutter. He only stammered like that when he was nervous or trying to be 'cute' with her. "How much trouble could he possibly be?" Leave it to Hiccup to say famous last words, because not three seconds later, Smidvarg crashed onto the deck with them and Gustav was causing said trouble. Hiccup turned back to her after Gustav scattered the poor Night Terrors he was harassing. "Please..? I just need more time..." he begged her. The beseeching look in his eyes and his pouting was a little difficult to resist, that and she had never denied a favor from him, especially when he always made up for it.

Astrid shot him a dirty look, hoping he better make it up to her really well when he chose to return from his _escape_. " _Fine_!" Astrid snapped, and called to her charge, leading the boy to the domed arena. She might as well get some training in if she had to put up with this. The shield-maiden led the boy over to the dome, trying to ignore the fact he was obviously staring at her ass and turned sharply, nearly knocking him over. "Since I'm stuc- I mean, since I'll be... keeping you company," she forced out, ignoring how he grinned brightly. "We'll be doing some training. We might as well make our time useful," she bit out, trying not to growl irritably.

"Yes ma'am!" Gustav beamed. "I knew you couldn't resist spending time with me," he winked.

"Ugh," Astrid groaned in disgust. " _Anyway_ , for starters I want to see what skill level you're at with weapons. Here," she handed him her axe. "Manage to break it somehow and _I'll break you_ , got it?" she warned him. Gustav cringed a little and nodded. Astrid grabbed another axe and got into a fighting stance. "Let's see what you've got," she said.

"Um, shouldn't we try something less dangerous first?" Gustav mentioned.

"No," Astrid growled. In hindsight, this might have been a terrible idea. As soon as they started circling each other, it became obvious Gustav had less muscular definition than Hiccup had at his age and ended up swinging the axe and nearly lopping her legs off accidentally. If he had managed to get near that far with actual skill, she would have been impressed, but alas. "Gustav! Open your eyes! Wait, don't-" Astrid leapt back as Gustav flung the axe around, spinning around with it. "Don't swing it like a club! Look where you're trying to strike!" she snapped, jumping out of the way as the momentum he created flung him and the axe off. After Astrid had managed to snatch the axe away and glared ruthlessly at the young Viking, she thought of something else they could do.

"Sorry about that, Astrid," Gustav murmured sheepishly.

"...It's... fine," Astrid grunted, trying very hard not to disillusion him from _ever_ using an axe again, and at the same time trying to keep her irritation in check. "Alright, obviously close combat training isn't for you yet. Let's try running some basic drills. Go fetch Fanghook," she told him.

"Alright!" Gustav cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

"This doesn't mean you're a rider!" Astrid reminded him.

Gustav's shoulders slumped. "...But Hiccup said-"

"-Not yet," Astrid interrupted insistently, not wanting to undermine Hiccup but trying to keep Gustav from thinking he was one of them just yet. She knew eventually he'd grow up and probably have what it took to be a dragon rider, but not that day.

"Alright..." Gustav grumbled.

Astrid led him through basic drills and he seemed to be getting the hang of it, to her surprise, but then he just started staring with a dazed expression and nearly collided with everything in sight again as he usually did. Astrid dragged a hand down her face and led him to a few targets, explaining that for now she would how him how it was done. She began the drill, explaining to him that he would need to throw the barrels up for Stormfly to hit them. Unfortunately, the boy was still staring and smiling stupidly. Stormfly nearly impaled him and forced Astrid to react quickly. She found herself flung and falling on top of the boy.

"Hi..." Gustav grinned in a very lame attempt to sound seductive.

"Okay! Definitely creeped out..." Astrid recoiled in disgust. "Alright, that's it! You're not taking this seriously and I need to clear my head, so come with me," the shield-maiden said, grabbing the young Viking's shoulder and steering him away.

"Where are we going?" Gustav asked, flinching from the iron-grip Astrid had on his shoulder.

"Maybe a bit of quiet and calm will help you focus a little," Astrid answered and walked over to Fishlegs, who was currently organizing his rock garden.

Fishlegs glanced up and raised a brow when he saw Astrid and Gustav approaching. "Hey guys, what's up..?" he asked a little warily.

Astrid sent him a sheepish, apologetic smile. "Hey, Fishlegs. I thought Gustav's... uh, 'chaotic energy'-" she struggled to describe, trying not to call him a reckless buffoon so bluntly, "-could use a bit of calming? Anyway, yeah, I thought he could use your 'guidance'," she explained lamely.

Fishlegs raised a knowing brow. "Um, sure Astrid. I guess I could guide him to some inner peace," he agreed with a nod. "Come on over, Gustav. I have just the thing that might help you reach your inner nirvana," he offered.

"...Uh, yeah... okay..." Gustav muttered, unconvinced.

"Good! I'll leave you two to it then! Let me know if there's a problem. I'll be training in the woods if anyone needs me," the shield-maiden said with badly concealed relief.

"Later, babe!" Gustav called as Astrid walked off.

Said fiery blonde Viking cringed and scowled in disgust, but didn't let him keep her from enjoying the rest of her day. Part of her felt kind of guilty for just dumping him off with Fishlegs, but Gustav simply made it impossible on her to deal with him. If he paid attention and took things seriously, he might actually be a decent Viking.

Astrid rolled her shoulders and stretched out as she made her way through the outpost to the woods, Stormfly followed closely behind, already used to the routine and following her lead. Astrid spotted the twins doing something with clubs near their hut, probably something painful and foolish, and rolled her eyes. She gripped her axe and psyched herself up as she reached the mouth of the forest. Then she began to jog, going through her routine to warm up. Astrid eventually reached her training grounds and set off to de-stress and work on her form.

The first thing Astrid decided to do was go for a run through the woods. She tried at the same time to improve Stormfly's ground agility as well, letting the thick forest wrap around them and force them to dodge and evade obstacles around them. Once they ran enough and worked up the heat in their muscles, Astrid strapped logs to herself and to Stormfly, working on their strength and chastising the dragon when she groaned in protest. "You know this will help you fly longer!" she reminded her. Astrid wasn't sure how much Stormfly could understand from her, but the snort and lack of complaint seemed to be a 'fine, whatever' and was good enough for her. They went back to their run, using their surrounding to challenge them, listening to the wild, working to polish their reflexes while carrying their burdens. Astrid felt the familiar soreness, heard her pounding heart in her ears. She felt the exhilarating rush of adrenaline and felt powerful and in control.

At the same time, her training gave Astrid time to reflect. She thought of how the morning had gone and scoffed to herself. The shield-maiden felt a bit of disappointment that someone with as much promise as Gustav would squanders it by allowing himself to be distracted, wondering why if he was trying to emulate Snotlout he didn't copy his training regime. Snotlout might have been a fat-headed blowhard with a death-wish around her, but it took a lot of work to keep that much muscle definition on him. Deciding thinking about all of that was stressing her out, she focused back on her training. A few hours later, they finally finished their routine. Stretching her sore body out, Astrid decided to take a bath after a hard morning of training.

When Astrid got back to the edge, she was just on time to witness Hiccup on his own return as well. She walked over and followed him to the clubhouse where she watched him immediately become swarmed by the others. Hiccup blinked in shock as they launched into complaints to him about their situations with Gustav, who was presently nowhere to be seen, and asking him to do something about it. It was then that Hiccup noticed that Astrid was surprisingly silent and wondered what happened. "Alright, calm down," he put his hands up. "I'll go talk with him," he sighed and stepped out.

The others then rounded on Astrid, making her brow rise. "Astrid, you _have_ to convince Hiccup to not let Gustav move in!" Snotlout insisted.

Now Astrid was surprised, especially as the request was coming from Snotlout. "What makes you think he'll listen to me?" she challenged.

The four other riders stared at her with a varied degree of tolerant expressions. "He always listens to you, you're his right hand _and_ enforcer," Fishlegs dead-panned.

Astrid rolled her eyes, though couldn't really dispute them, when the dung hit the windmill fan, she was usually the one to step in and set things straight. Knowing she had to play the part of diplomat this time, Astrid put her hands up. "You know he doesn't want Gustav here any more than you guys do, right? Relax."

"How can we relax when _he set me on fire_?" Snotlout shouted.

"Just chill out," Astrid rolled her eyes.

"I don't think just talking with him will work very well," Fishlegs grumbled.

"I dunno, Hiccup's pretty good with words," Tuffnut mentioned.

"Yeah! Remember last year when he convinced Sven to let us paint the sheep? That was awesome," Ruffnut smiled.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to let him try," Fishlegs nodded.

"Right, so we'll just wait and see what happens, alright?" Astrid suggested, earning reluctant nods from the group.

They sat for what seemed like hours however, and became increasingly concerned. "Something's not right..." Fishlegs muttered.

"I agree, we should-" before Astrid could voice her plan, in walked a very angry looking Hiccup, literally dragging Gustav in by his shoulder. "Hiccup? What's going on?"

"Sit!" Hiccup shoved Gustav toward the center table, where the younger man clambered on and avoided his gaze. "Gustav decided to go on a little adventure with the Dragon Eye of his own," Hiccup growled, then explained the abbreviated version of the story to them, telling Gustav to fill in the gaps. Said younger Viking confessed to finding a map and following it, then nearly falling down a pit and almost losing the device in the process.

Normally the group would have their own opinions made known to troublesome events such as what happened that day, but they paused when they sensed the pent up rage coming off of the one-legged Viking. They chose instead to remain silent. Hiccup had been pacing for a few seconds with barely contained frustration already, while the others watch silently, but they didn't have to wait long. Eventually, Hiccup blew up on Gustav in a similar way to how he had shouted at Snotlout years ago, though a lot better controlled and with less cursing. The riders didn't say a word, let their leader unload his frustration and disappointment on the boy, then dutifully left with him when Hiccup called it a night.

They all split up and went to their own huts. Astrid stayed in her own for a bit, letting Hiccup calm down, taking the moment to dress down for the night, then crept over to his hut. When she walked in, she found him sitting at his table. Toothless picked his head up and purred in greeting. Astrid smiled down at him and scratched his chin, earning a pleased rumble, before joining her lover at his table. She sat down and rested her chin on her palm, watching him look over notes he had probably made earlier before his little trip.

Hiccup lifted his head and gave her a curious look, wondering why she was so silent today. "Alright, what's on your mind?" he asked. "You hadn't complained all day!" he teased with a soft smile.

"Not sure I have much of a right to complain after what happened for you today," she mentioned.

Hiccup shook his head. "It's... it's fine," he sighed. "Go on and tell me what's on your mind."

Astrid shrugged and put on a show of scowling and crossing her arms, leaning back in her seat. "All I have to say is today sucked for all of us. Gustav is impossible," she grumbled a little, trying not to unload all her stresses on him, as he had enough to deal with at the moment.

Hiccup smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry for springing the request to watch him on you like that," he apologized.

Astrid shook her head. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I should have kept better tabs in him. He might not have gotten his hands on that map if I had just tolerated his annoyance a little more," she snorted softly.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed his neck, setting his papers aside. "No, it's fine, I could have gone off to look for that clue another time and tried to talk to Gustav a bit more," he shrugged. "I guess we both could have done better than we thought?"

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. "So, what did you find?" Hiccup explained it to her, how he didn't actually find what he was looking for, how he and Toothless spent a better part of a day searching with no results. Astrid sighed wearily and nodded.

Hiccup trained his eyes on her and noticed the tension in her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

The shield-maiden smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, just the day and all, you know?"

"Oh-Oh I know," Hiccup chuckled humorlessly, then it was his turn to sigh wearily.

Astrid frowned at the distant look in his eyes. "What is it?"

"I don't like having to blow up like that. I don't like the feeling it brings..." he confessed.

"You mean the need to wring his scrawny neck?" Astrid questioned amusedly.

Hiccup snorted. "...Yeah," he admitted. "I'm not really like that."

"It's part of being a Viking," Astrid assured him. "Part of being a leader is having to be tough with people, isn't it? Sometimes you have to be tough to get through to people, it's a quality that's needed... especially in people like you..."

"The chief's son?" Hiccup guessed.

Astrid smiled a little and shrugged. "Look, Hiccup, I think you're a fantastic leader, and what you did today was nothing short of chiefly, even if it sucked to have to bite into someone like that."

Hiccup managed to smile a little in response. "Thanks, Astrid, I needed to hear that," he said softly. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward a bit and smirked slightly. "So tell me, how can I help make up for unloading Gustav on you?" he asked half curiously, half suggestively.

Astrid merely laughed and shook her head. "I insist on taking partial blame for your own stress today as well, but... I wouldn't mind resting with you tonight," she answered.

Hiccup's brow popped up. "Is that all?"

Astrid nodded. "Yes, just a good old snuggle would be nice."

Hiccup smiled affectionately. "Sounds good to me," he agreed, getting up from the table and offering his hand to her. They went over to his bed and sat by the headboard. As soon as he cocooned her in his arms, they both sighed contentedly and relaxed. Astrid closed her eyes, letting herself fall into the inescapable warmth and strength of his embrace, letting the day's annoyances melt away. They talked for a bit before dozing off to sleep.

The next morning, knowing they could be interrupted at any point, they decided to get up and part ways, dressing in their own huts for the day. Hiccup had intended to talk with Gustav some more about what had happened, but became increasingly concerned when he couldn't find the boy anywhere. Feeling like he wasn't going about searching for him efficiently enough, the young leader wrangled his friend into the search. Almost an hour later, they all met at the stable's runway. They all reported in with lack of success finding Gustav, which set warning bells off in Hiccup's head.

Predictably, the others asked if Gustav being gone was such a bad thing, but being the responsible and gallant Viking he was, Hiccup couldn't just leave it alone. Astrid watched Hiccup prepare his pack to head out and find him, wondering how much more the kid could trouble them. Hiccup told them he simply wanted to make sure Gustav was okay, and as though Odin himself was listening, just then Fanghook flew over, landing near them and squawking in distress. They went over and found a note attached to his horn. Reading it, seeing it as a threat and challenge from Dagur, Hiccup decided to abide by Dagur's rules and go get him himself. Astrid knew this would happen, knew Gustav's pride and recklessness would get him in trouble, and also knew that it would lead to Hiccup having to clean up his mess. She protested that they could help, not liking the idea of him going to face that maniac alone, but Hiccup wouldn't hear it. He had insisted to her that he would follow the demand to the letter to minimize chances of the kid's death.

Astrid wasn't sure how much she could keep her volatile emotions in check, her fists shaking at her sides as Hiccup mounted his dragon's saddle. Hiccup locked eyes with her then. "I'll be careful, I promise," he told her softly but firmly. Astrid knew he would, she really did, but it didn't stop her heart from squeezing painfully with fear for him and uncertainties. What if something went wrong? Her fists clenched at her sides, teeth gritted as she watched him and Toothless fly off. None of the others said anything, no one really needed to say anything, they were all worried in their own ways, but trusted him enough to obey his wishes.

The shield-maiden watched her beloved fly off to what she felt was certain danger, feeling helpless in that moment. She knew she could follow, could make sure things went right, but she also knew she couldn't violate Hiccup's trust like that, couldn't risk her own presence making things worse... so she stayed back, hating it but knowing she had to. For a good two hours Astrid stressed over him not returning, feeling like something wasn't going well. She fought with herself going after him again, not trusting Dagur to betray his word and try to kill them. In fact, _knowing_ the psycho was capable of doing just that. All manner of bad scenarios went through her head. Stormfly tried to comfort her of course, but to no avail. Finally though, the tension broke when they saw two dragons in the horizon. Recognizing them, seeing both riders safe and sound, Astrid breathed a sigh of relief, but kept her defenses up, shielding her feelings from the others.

As soon as he landed, Astrid and Hiccup shared a look and Hiccup tried to smile reassuringly at her. Gustav gushed over the "excitement", explaining in detail how they double-crossed Dagur, running away from him, Hiccup baiting him like a boss, jumping into a pit for the Dragon Eye that Dagur threw over, the collapsing cave all around them, the near death experiences with the fall and rocks falling on top of them, the haste getting out, and how it all nearly caved in on them as they shot out!

Astrid shifted uncomfortably, hearing the story and Hiccup's reluctant confirmation on it. Of course things couldn't have gone simply, could they? Hearing that they almost died several times and all thanks to Dagur, again, Astrid felt a familiar grip in her heart shake her. She knew death was always ready to knock on their doors, as was the Viking way, so she knew she would eventually have to face death's horrible grinning face sooner or later, whether it was her own demise or someone else's. Needing to clear such dark thoughts from her mind, Astrid focused back on the group, walking over to sit next to Hiccup at the hearth, needing his nearness to comfort her with the reassurance of his presence.

Eventually, Astrid found herself relax and listened to Hiccup praise Gustav's intuition and bravery over the ordeal. Surprisingly, it was Gustav himself who decided it was time for him to head back. Astrid couldn't say she wasn't happy to see him leave, but felt that at least the kid was able to prove himself a little. She hadn't been there to see it, but if Hiccup said he did good, it was enough for her. She rolled her eyes when the younger Viking warned Hiccup that he'd hold him to his word about someday becoming a Rider. To the shield-maiden's great irritation, Gustav then put on a show and flirted with her, exasperating her to an even greater degree. Astrid narrowed her eyes when she nearly felt the amusement coming off her boyfriend nearby.

They bid Gustav goodbye and Astrid rolled her eyes again, seeing how excited Hiccup was with his new lens that he had found during his and Gustav's little adventure, gushing with Fishlegs over what secrets it might hold. She knew he would definitely be occupied for a bit and decided she needed time to think anyway and left them to it. She tried not to worry over his morbid thoughts, tried not to think about how easily Hiccup could have been flattened by rocks that day, or run through by Dagur... she didn't need that distraction, didn't need those nightmares, so she viciously shoved those thoughts away and went on her way to her training grounds for much needed stress relief once again.

That evening Hiccup didn't show up at the clubhouse for dinner. For a second Astrid felt a panic race through her, bush scolded herself and slapped the irrational feeling away. He was fine, they were fine, Dagur didn't know where Dragon's Edge was, everything was fine. "Hey Fishlegs, is Hiccup tinkering with that lens?" she asked the largest of the group, needing to at least hear it from someone.

Fishlegs paused from chowing down on his boar tripe and nodded vigorously. "Yeah! He's testing out the new lens. Lots of exciting new information on that thing! He promised to let me have a crack at it soon too," he gushed, nearly squealing with excitement. Once again, Astrid rolled her eyes and decided carry on with her dinner, feeling satisfied that all was well.

That night, she settled in her hut and prepared some of her tea. It wasn't that often that she had to take it, once every couple days close to the time she knew it was dangerous to be without. It was a pretty soothing drink anyway, tasted kind of nice and the heat was comforting which would help her relax after that day's events. That and of course it let her have a lot of fun. Normally Hiccup would prepare it for her, usually in the mornings, knowing she appreciated when he put effort into their relationship, but some nights she took it just for the pleasant feeling it gave her to drink a hot beverage before bed. Once she was finished, she pulled her armor and clothes off and settled down. Before long she drifted off to sleep. The night was warm, the crickets and frogs were chirping, the air was calm, all in all it was a pleasant evening. However, the peace didn't last, at least not for Astrid.

Astrid's dreams turned dark.

The axe-wielder saw herself being dragged away from her current life forcibly and waking up in the past again. Knowing what had happened, Astrid found herself crying out, begging Freyja to take her back, but she was ignored. She went through the town but no one seemed to pay the least bit of attention to her, as though they didn't even notice her presence. She found the young Hiccup and asked him to help her, but he stared at her blankly, seemed completely aloof and uncaring, not listening to her, not believing her, and not caring. Why should he help her? When did she ever help him?

It was then Astrid noticed the slight differences around her and knew this was before he had even met with Toothless. Astrid tried to tell him what was going on and that she loved him, didn't mean it when she was so cold and mean with him back then, that she had always loved him, but the words simply wouldn't come out. Hiccup snorted, saying it was as he thought, then turned away. Astrid tried to call him back, but she found herself unable to move. Just then, huge rocks began to fall from the sky raining down with fire and ash, crushing everything in sight.

Astrid panicked, but couldn't find her voice. None of them hit her, but they hit everything else, turning the town into rubble. When the dust cleared, she found herself able to move again and rushed through the ruined Berk, completely covered in thick cave rocks and reduced to shambles. She called out but there's only an eerie echo. She saw backed away when she smelled blood in the air, fearing the worst... and tripped on something. Looking around her, she found herself surrounded by the bodies of dead Vikings littering the ground. Her scream was caught in her throat, seeing all her friends and family, mangled and torn. Astrid shot out, not seeing Hiccup and needed to know if he made it out. Her search was fruitless, not being able to find him anywhere, tears blurring her vision. Then her vision went black as more rocks fell from the sky, darkening the world around her in a cave-in. It was in that second that she heard Dagur's maniacal laughter, followed by the sound of Hiccup screaming in pain.

Astrid woke with a shriek, kicking her blanket off her and gasping for air, not even feeling the tears streaming down her cheeks. Feeling the unavoidable need to see him, Astrid pulled her clothes on hurriedly and slipped out of her hut, the irrational urge to make sure he was really okay driving her. Once she got into his hut, she quickly went up to his loft, waving Toothless' worried warble off. She slipped into his bed, nudging his shoulder a little, begging him to wake up.

Hiccup blinked awake and sat up, "What? Astrid?" he questioned groggily, turning to look at her. Upon seeing the pale look on her face he immediately went into protective-mode and turned, pulling her into his arms. "Astrid? What happened? What's wrong?" he asked.

Astrid hid her face in his chest, shaking, trying to keep her tears at bay and basking in his hold. Hiccup held and waited for her to respond, knowing she needed time to collect herself and fifuring it was a bad dream. Unfortunately, it wasn't that strange for her to have the occasional nightmare, knowing that somehow it had something to do with her vision she had years ago. They never talked about it, but Hiccup hadn't forgotten, especially since their relationship rapidly changed after it. It was a good change, but it was a still quick enough to raise his inquisitive suspicions. He never asked her about it though, knew she would open up to him when she felt ready. For now, it was enough.

Astrid finally calmed down and shook her head. "It was... it was a nightmare," she admitted. "A dream I couldn't wake up from and I had to see you," she told him.

Hiccup remained silent for a second, thinking it through. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked, but Astrid shook her head again. "Well, will you at least tell me if it had anything to do with what Gustav explained happened?" he guessed accurately. Astrid nodded. "I'm sorry I worried you. I told you I'd be careful though, didn't I? And I was. Things got a little intense, but we made it out without a scratch, didn't we?" he said, rubbing her arms soothingly. "I was in control of the situation, nothing happened." Astrid wordlessly nodded again. Hiccup decided this was going to be one of those nights and pulled her down to the bed with him. He rubbed her back and hummed a familiar tune to her until she truly relaxed. He didn't often sing to her, only sometimes when she had nightmares like she had that night, and despite how horrible he knew he sounded, she seemed soothed by it. Hiccup smiled when it did the trick.

After a bit, Astrid spoke again, her voice soft and sleepy. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you..." she apologized.

Hiccup shrugged. "Astrid you're one of the toughest people I knows," he told her. "But you're still human. I know also you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but just know that I'm here for you whenever you need me, even if it's in the middle of the night. You know that."

Astrid smiled against him and kisses his shoulder softly. "Thank you, Hiccup," she murmured reverently. Something told Astrid that things were about to get crazy, that this incident with Gustav wasn't going to be the only adventure they went on... but at least she had Hiccup to go on it with it. Besides, how much crazier could things really get?

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** You guys, I am _ so _sorry I took so long to update! One reason I took so long was because I "had to" re-watch it all to get back into the groove of the story, and pay close attention to this episode before I wrote the chapter to get sequences right. Aside from that there was real life stuff I had to deal with. NO I do not plan on abandoning the story, don't be silly, I have great plans for this story! I've just been very distracted lately. I can't promise there won't be another stretch of not updating for a while, but I do plan on finishing it eventually. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but I'll say again, I WILL NOT abandon this story!_

 _Anyway, poor Astrid, her experience is haunting her! DreamWorks only showed Astrid's worry for Hiccup a few times, and never really elaborated. That little bit of wordless communication they shared, when Hiccup assured her he'd be careful was great, but not enough in my opinion. I figured I'd take the liberty of detailing her worry. Also, yes this happened a little differently than the show, she's not "that" Astrid, after all. Yes I know I skipped over "Big Man on Berk" but honestly I couldn't figure out what to write for it._

 _Shout-Outs: You guys, please, the review section isn't a chat room. If you'd like to mention something to me, or request something, please feel free to PM me._

 _ **Fionamoi:** Let's just say, Astrid will be finding herself in some very VERY familiar situations!_

 _ **kathryn2689:** It's more of an affectionate term than anything else, like someone calling someone else "kiddo"._


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

If Astrid Hofferson knew one thing, it was never to question the gods. She hadn't intended to get an answer to how crazy things could get in such a short time, but a few weeks later, she would find them. That morning, Astrid went through the diminishing stocks in Dragon Edge's storehouse with effort. On either side of her was Tuffnut and Ruffnut, following her around like lost and very irritating puppies. "What's that for?" Ruffnut asked, pointing to a pile of sacks made of coarse hemp.

"To keep the medical herbs Fishlegs collects safe from vermin..." Astrid answered as patiently as she could, going on to the next item on the list.

Ruffnut nodded. "And that?" she questioned, pointing to a few barrels piled in one corner.

Astrid frowned. "You know we keep Changewing and Nightmare jelly there..." she growled.

"Together? Won't that, I dunno, cause them to explode or something?" The other female of the group asked.

"Oh! Oh! That sounds fantastic!" Tuffnut gasped. "Can we try it!?"

"Ooo- yeah! Can we? Can we?" Ruffnut chimed in.

Astrid's eyes narrowed. "No!" she snapped, feeling a headache starting up. Even though they wouldn't react that way, Ruffnut had a point though; maybe keeping barrels of unstable fluids close to each other wasn't a good idea. Oddly enough, the female twin had been sort of helpful in that respect. Shaking off how weird that was, Astrid set off to push the barrels apart and labeled them accordingly. "There," she dusted her hands off. She took her list back out and continued to jot down what they needed in their next supply run.

"What are you writing down?" Tuffnut asked. "Is it important? What are those funny scratches you're putting down on parchment?"

Astrid let out her breath slowly to calm down. "I'm writing down what we need and you _know that's writing,_ " she growled irritably. "Will the two of you stop questioning everything I do and let me work? Anyway, aren't you supposed to be on lookout? Why are you here? Get back to your post!" she snapped.

Ruffnut scoffed. "What's your deal, miss bossy?" she quipped. "What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Yeah, chill out," Tuffnut piped in.

"Ugh..." Astrid sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Just then, Snotlout flew over on Hookfang. "Hey! You mutton-heads... and Astrid-" he winked, earning a scowl from said shield-maiden, "-Hiccup said to meet at the clubhouse," he told them.

"Why?" Astrid asked curiously, rolling up her list and tucking it in the little pouch on her skirt.

"Beats me! He just told me to come get your guys," the short Viking shrugged and directed his Monstrous Nightmare off without another word.

"Come on, let's go," Astrid said, walking over to where Stormfly was napping.

They got their dragons and flew over the the clubhouse, gathering around Hiccup and Fishlegs. The latter of the two went on to explain his encounter with Firworms. "Alright, gang, let's head out and see what we can see," Hiccup commanded, setting them off into motion. Without thought, following his lead as naturally as always, they clambered onto their dragons and rode off, the other dragons automatically lining up around Toothless' lead. They surveyed the area and discovered how bad it could get if they left things the way they were.

"Fishlegs, how much time do we have?" Astrid questioned, turning around on Stormfly to look over at him.

Fishlegs did some quick calculations in his head. "Um, it's hard to say. If it's a full migration the rest of them could be here..." he took a second to think about it, "-as soon as next week." This, of course, spurred the flight part of the fight or flight in Snotlout, who promptly decided to abandon The Edge and escape. Hiccup would have none of it however, and split them up into tasks to prepare for the migration.

After Astrid had completed her tasks of filling the watering troughs to help put out fires, she had Stormfly land back in the clubhouse. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Hiccup were there already. As she walked toward them, Astrid had to take a second to appreciate the way in which her boyfriend sat over the table surrounding the clubhouse's hearth. He was casually lounging with his legs unabashedly spread open, oblivious to how he was displaying his goods to her. The shield-maiden had to make an effort to not let her eyes drift as she reached them. There was a time and place for that, and that was neither.

They discussed how their preparations were going, and all seemed well until the twins showed up, mentioning they were doing something better other than putting in effort to protect their home. And what could be better than an ancient looking stone with carving that claimed that the island belonged to the twins? After a bit of a discussion, Astrid couldn't seem to get past the fact that this was real. "Let me get this straight..." she began with a heavily incredulous tone. "These two-" she pointed at the very eager looking twins behind her, "-own _this_ island?" she questioned. After Fishlegs mentioned that it could very well be true, Snotlout and Tuffnut got into a little _misunderstanding_ , which resulted in Hiccup having to stand in between them before a fight broke out.

"The first thing we need to do is get this claim stone authenticated," Hiccup announced, subtly pushing Tuffnut back until he relented and stopped trying to go after the smug looking Viking on his Monstrous Nightmare. "I'll go back to Berk and bring someone who'll be able to make sure this is real, just hang on tight and try not to kill each other while I'm gone, okay?" he asked as he made his way to Toothless.

"I'll go with you," Astrid chimed in, hopping onto her Deadly Nadder.

"No," Hiccup said, glancing over to her, then lowered his voice. "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the twins, please?" he asked her quietly, while everyone else was distracted by the twins' antics.

Astrid grimaced, not liking the request one bit, but not fighting it either. "Alright, Hiccup," she sighed. "I wish you a _very_ speedy return," she said, giving him a pain look. Hiccup smiled softly and nodded before he and Toothless took off. Astrid sighed again and looked back over to the gang, who was in the process of tearing itself apart. Fortunately the dragons had it covered, with the exception of Fishlegs, each dragon holding their riders up by their tunics to keep them from fighting. "Alright, knock it off!" she snapped at them, making them still reflexively.

When the dragons sensed that their humans had been subdued by the alpha female, they set them down, Hookfang a little less gentle, huffing out a laugh at his human's irritated look. "Hookfang..." Snotlout growled under his breath.

Paying them no mind, Astrid went on. "We might as well keep trying to prepare. Snotlout, you and Hookfang go out and try to reinforce our huts. Fishlegs get our remaining supplies to the arena, the stone floor should keep it safe. Tuffnut, Ruffnut-" she began but was cut off.

"Pfft! We don't have to do anything! We own this place!" Tuffnut declared. "Come on, sis! Let's go!" Before Astrid could set them straight, they had flown off.

"What mutton-heads," Snotlout snorted.

"I swear, give me one good hour with them in a locked room..." Astrid muttered under her breath. "Alright, anyway, come on, we might as well try our best," she advised and they split up to try to do something constructive while they waited for Hiccup to return. Normally by boat it would take a week for someone to get to Berk or back from there, if wind conditions were favorable, but with dragons it cuts down to just under a day. Still, with the twins as unpredictable and unreasonable as they were at the moment, it would be a _long_ day.

Finally, after a stressful day and evening, the next morning brought Hiccup, Stoick, and Gobber. As was his way, Stoick took charge and commanded they all meet them at the stone. Even the twins wouldn't dare question their Chief, obeying instantly. They reached it and Gobber took over, testing the stone in whichever way he felt was necessary. They gang held their breaths, some for entirely different reasons than others. Finally, Gobber declared it authentic, putting the mystery to rest. The twins jumped for joy and Astrid had to inwardly grown in exasperation. Now they would _really_ be impossible to deal with! She glanced over and watched Hiccup talk with his dad, saw how amused the chief was with Hiccup's situation.

With Stoick and Gobber off again, Hiccup turned to them and took a breath. "In any case," he began, "-we should still try to shore up our defenses against the Fireworms. We should try to-"

"No can do, H! We have more important things to do!" Tuffnut gleefully interrupted him.

"Tuffnut..." the one-legged unofficial leader began with a warning tone.

"-Yeah! Like plan our glorious reign!" Ruffnut agreed. Once again, without another word or courtesy, they took off on Barf and Belch.

Astrid felt a little guilty for the satisfaction she felt at not being the only one being completely disrespected by the twins that week. "Sorry, Hiccup, you know the twins..." she sighed.

Hiccup grunted in agreement, pinching the bridge of his own nose in irritation this time. "Anyway, come on, gang, let's get to work while we still have time," he suggested, and they once again split up to do what they could. Their relative peace in their efforts to try to defend their base was cut short however when after a small break for lunch, they were wrangled to the arena by the twins.

That afternoon, the twins wrangle everyone up to the arena. After the twins rattled on about their rules, Astrid found her patience for them cut off when they had the gall to declare her their "royal brush clearer". Hiccup had to step up and coax her to try to relax. "Come on, Astrid..." he begged her. Astrid flinched, part of her not wanting to disappoint him, even as the other part felt violence bubbling inside her.

"Oh you'll do it, and you'll like it, little missy!" Tuffnut told her.

For a second Astrid felt as though she was about to shrug Hiccup off and attack the knuckleheads blindly, but then to her amazement, found Hiccup's own vexation at being a "stable boy" probably amusing enough to stall her violent tenancies. Hiccup had decided all on his own to let the twins have their way anyway, so it was on him and damn it if she had to put up with this hell she'd at least enjoy seeing him getting more and more annoyed too! " _Come on_ , Hiccup!" she shot back at him, patting his shoulder at the completely downtrodden expression on his face.

After their short introduction to their new fates on the island, they resignedly split up to go do their assigned tasks. The day went by with increasingly levels of stress and frustration for most in the group, with increasing anxiety over the Fireworms and irritation toward the twins and their ridiculous antics. Astrid found herself becoming more and more annoyed as the day wore down, annoyed by them and their stupid fee demands. But as much as she'd like to knock them out an lock them up, she wouldn't undermine their leader's decision. For him, she would try to go along with it, try to keep herself in check.

Unfortunately, the twins would make that impossible.

Before she knew it, she found herself and Fishlegs, being pushed into the stables, or _dungeon_ , by a very amused Snotlout. "Welcome to your new home, jailbirds," Snotlout cackled.

Once Snotlout was gone, Hiccup took the irresistible opportunity to tease his girlfriend. "What're you in for?" he asked casually, leaning against the _cell_ door with a goofy smirk on his face.

Of course, Astrid was anything but amused. "Funny..!" she drawled sarcastically. "Exactly _how long_ are you going to let this go on? Have you _seen_ all those Fireworms?" she questioned him in exasperation. Fishlegs piped in as well, agreeing that things were about to get very hot.

Hiccup lifted his hands up to try to ease them. "Alright alright I'll go talk to them, I'm sure I can get this whole thing straightened out," he assured them, and left to try to see if he could reason with their out of control groupmates.

While he was gone for the first good half hour, no doubt looking for the twins, Astrid paced in agitation. Fishlegs and Meatlug watched her striding back and forth warily, seeing the tension bunching the muscles in her neck up. "You know, he's usually right about this sort of thing..." he mentioned to her quietly.

Astrid paused and leveled him with a questioning look. "Things like what? The twins? Who could predict what those mutton-heads would do or say or anything?" she bit back.

Fishlegs nodded in understand. "Yes, but you know very well that Hiccup is a good leader and knows what it takes to be one, even though he often doubts it himself," he told her, noticing her slightly lifted eyebrow. "Yeah I noticed that about him too," he smiled. "Look, he knows that the twins don't have what it takes and is just biding his time until they crack."

Astrid sighed and walked over to a wall, leaning against it with her arms crossed. "Maybe," she mumbled. Stormfly had been watching her human intently as well, ready to try to calm her if she snapped, but now that she seemed to have calmed down, she could settle in her spot on the floor and relax herself.

What seemed like hours later found Snotlout dragging Hiccup into the _dungeon_ , and pushing him in with a chuckle. They heard the twins call for him then and so he shut the cell door quickly and jogged out. Astrid scowls toward Snotlout then turned to her still stunned boyfriend. "So... whatcha in for?" she asked snidely, getting him back for early.

"Astrid, please..." Hiccup deadpanned, eyes narrowed just a bit.

Astrid raised a brow. "What? Just trying to be _funny_!" she quipped.

Not two seconds later, Snotlout brought himself in. " I was framed..." he whimpered. Astrid had just about enough and told their leader that that was it, they were running out of time. Snotlout made comments going back to his earlier plan to _remove_ the twins for good. Hiccup asked them to calm down, not needing them to get out of hand... but he knew that the Fireworms threat was becoming very serious however.

Just before he had Toothless blast the door open, the twins show up. It took a bit of convincing, but after a while they relented to Hiccup's demand that they all share the island. As soon as Hiccup got control back, he sent them all out on tasks to salvage what they could. They had quite a bit of trouble as the fires began to engulf their island, spreading out of control. It took Night Terrors and some wickedly awesome aerial displays to save the day.

They decided to turn in early that morning, give themselves a rest after battling fires the entire day and night. Astrid went straight to her hut, much too tired to do anything that required effort. She pulled her armor off and set her axe down. She was surprised when she found Hiccup upstairs, casually leaning against her dresser. "Hey! What are you doing here?" she asked curiously, not that she'd ever mind him being there. She had however expected him to just fall in his bed and pass out like the rest of them.

Hiccup's eyes were inviting and soft in the dim light as he shrugged. "I thought you'd like some company," he mentioned simply.

Astrid sighed wearily, stretching out her sore muscles and then eyed him. "I don't know..." she trailed off, "-I'm still upset with you for making this go on as long as you did..." she grumbled at him, giving him a fake look of irritation.

Hiccup smiled and put his hands up as he walked over to her. "I apologize. Will you please forgive me? I was only doing what I thought was right..." he asked, reaching her and letting his forehead press against hers softly.

Astrid's eyes swam with mirth and affection. "Should I?" she teased, her breath leaving her in a shutter with his intoxicating nearness.

Hiccup grinned a little, letting his hands graze over her arm, feeling the prickling in her skin at his touch. "Well, it did work, didn't it?" he asked.

"Oh, I suppose so," Astrid relented with a little shiver, then surprised him by wrapping her arms around his torso, sinking into his warmth and sighing again, though this time with the sweet relief of being in his arms.

Hiccup smiled and immediately pulled her closer to him, rubbing her back. "Are you alright?" he murmured against her hair curiously.

"Mm hm," Astrid mumbled incoherently, simply basking at this point, but managed to nod in affirmative against him all the same. "Just tired..." she slurred. She always felt drowsy when she rested against him, the feeling of safety and love blanketing over her. She squeaked in surprise then when he suddenly swept her off her feet and into his hold.

"Then I guess we should retire then!" Hiccup smiled.

Astrid bit her lip, her hold on him tightening as he carried her. It wasn't like she didn't want him, it was simply that things had been so crazy lately that sex wasn't exactly at the forefront of her mind. Something was tugging at her, keeping her from feeling _the need_. She wasn't sure what it was, but for the moment, she didn't really want to dwell on it. "Hiccup..." she trailed off, her tone unsure. "I'm not sure that I-"

Hiccup smiled and kissed her forehead gently. "Hey, relax, I can tell you're not feeling it tonight. I just want to hold you, okay?" he assured her, thankfully knowing her well enough to sense that she wasn't feeling up to intimacy. Astrid relaxed instantly, melting in his arms, her heart all but swooning at his attentiveness.

He held her close to his chest, grinning when she snuggled closer as he carried her to her bed. He crawled back against it until she was draped over his legs and resting against him. "I promise tomorrow we'll officially deal with that claim stone. I know we could probably do that later today, but I think we all deserve a break. Right now though I think you and I need a bit of a rest, don't you think?"

Astrid sighed in relief, letting herself drape over his chest. "Yes, please..!" she agreed sleepily, settling with him in blissful contentedness, finally relaxing after the _very_ long week. Hiccup pressed another very soft kiss to her hair and Astrid felt like she was in Valhala at that moment.

It was times like this that they lived for, times like this that she felt like that old echo in her heart, the old wound that never quite healed over all the way disappeared. It was times like this that she forgot about her adventures into her future, and she thanked Freyja for it.

An inkling in the back of her mind let her know though that sooner or later, fate always had a way of catching up to you.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** I apologize again for the long wait, aside from a career-building job I recently attained, real life hasn't left me with a lot of time to update recently. Besides that, I also had to look through my outline and remove a chunk of it because I simply wasn't feeling the enthusiasm to re-write a bunch of episodes. I did however keep this one because it was requested. I'm sorry it was so short, there really wasn't much I could do here. If anyone has any other requests, please feel free to ask and I'll see what I can do, otherwise I want to get back onto the main plot of my story.  
_

 _Also, you guys! What an amazing fourth season, am I right?! I watched it all in one sitting... which makes me very sad. Omg! All the glorious Hiccstrid! I nearly died! Go Hiccup! See! I told you he had confidence! Not once did he blush, instead he was like "Oh? You want to kiss now? You got it!" and then laid it on her like the Casanova he is lol. Meanwhile Astrid literally_ could not _keep her hands (or lips) off him lol. Bravo, Dreamworks! Bravo! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!_

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **EVERYONE** : I am sorry again for making you guys wait so long lol. Again, I promise you I haven't given up on this story, I've just been very busy. I've been working on the outline for this a bit more and know exactly how to wrap it up. NO it's nowhere near close to being finished, I'm just efficient like that lol._

 _ **Dl-o-lb** : Patience, patience :)_

 _ **Dragonbow117** : I would still very much like to know what they heck you're talking about lol. What glimmer? Tell meeee!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : Yeah, not in my story though, it's just not how it's fated to be! At least we got to see that in the fourth season!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"On My Side" by RA._

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It had been a long and tiring week since dealing with the pesky Fireworms and the peskier Tuffnut and Ruffnut. Finally though, Dragon's Edge was starting to slowly recover from that painful ordeal.

There had been a blessed downpour a few days ago, so fortunately all the fires were out. It took a bit, but they had all pitched in to fix up their home, redistribute supplies, take down barriers, and repair damaged buildings. They still had a ways to go, but things were certainly looking up. At the moment, Astrid was looking over the checklist she had been working on last week, seeing what supplies they still needed and what they had lost in the fires. She frowned at the results, figuring it was time now to brings this up with their leader.

Astrid took her list and jogged over to Stormfly. "Come on, girl, let's go find Hiccup," she suggested. Stormfly squawked in agreement and took off. While humans tended to be too small to leave behind strong scent trails, Stormfly knew that wherever Toothless was, Hiccup would be as well, and the Night Fury had a strong scent that was easy to track. They found him working at the small forge next to his hut, by the looks of it repairing a hinge for the stables door. "Hiccup," she greeted him, hopping off her Nadder. As soon as her human was clear of her, Stormfly greeted Toothless cheerfully, trilling happily when he affectionately nuzzled her.

Oblivious to their dragon's happily interacting with each other, Hiccup glanced up at her. "Oh, hey, Astrid," he greeted back, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on beating the heavy slab of metal into submission.

Astrid tried not to get too distracted by the ripples in his tunic from the muscles in his back, shifting with each strike. "I think you should look at this," the shield-maiden mentioned distractedly. Sometimes when Hiccup worked at a forge, he forewent wearing his thick leather armor to help stay cool, which wasn't a problem for the axe-wielder!

Hiccup set his hammer and tong down and turned to regard her. "Let's see," he replied, taking the parchment from her and looking it over. "Oh, wow," he muttered in surprise. "I guess we should head over to Berk then?"

"I think that would be a good idea," Astrid agreed, leaning idly by his forge. "Last time I checked the stores it was before the whole Fireworm thing. Since then we've just been using up what little we had."

Hiccup thought for a second and nodded. "Alright, we'll head out as soon as we finish cleaning up debris from the fires. We're almost done, I'd hate to just leave it be before we finish..." he said, rubbing his neck.

Astrid shook her head. "No, I agree. I'll go make sure the twins aren't slacking off," she volunteered, surprising him a little.

"Since when do you volunteer to babysit the twins? Are you trying to butter me up or something?" Hiccup asked playfully, his eyes dancing.

Astrid laughed softly and shook her head again. "No, I'm not, I swear. I'm just trying to be helpful."

Hiccup's eyes softened affectionately. "Well, it's very much appreciated..." he said in a tender tone. Astrid felt her hear race a little and could not help herself, she whipped her head around to make sure no one was around, then stood on her tip-toes and yanked him down for a kiss. Sometimes the sudden kisses still managed to startle him, his eyes widening and jaw slack. Astrid relished the classic Hiccup reactions she could still get out of him, taking her back to their much more innocent days. However, unlike before, Hiccup now immediately responded to the kiss, covering her open lips with his, diving in and returning the affection in full.

After a bit, not wanting to risk getting caught, they pulled away from the kiss reluctantly, smiling gently as their hearts echoed each other. Hiccup reached over to take her wrist, intimately caressing the soft skin his thumb found. Astrid shivered a little and let her own hand rest on his cheek, smiling when he leaned into her touch. Sometimes the simplest gestures between them spoke as loudly as the more passionate ones.

"I better go," Astrid mumbled, then slipped out of his light hold, letting her fingers slide over his as they pulled away.

Hiccup followed her with his eyes for a second before nodding in understanding. "I'll see you later," he smiled, then turned to finish up the large barn door hinge before he set off to take care of more pressing matters on the island.

Astrid smiled to herself when she found herself still sighing as hopelessly as she did when she first started to truly fall in love with him. She grinned and hoped that heart-racing, cheek-flushing feeling would never leave. Focusing on her task, she and Stormfly made their way out inland, looking for Tuffnut and Ruffnut.

Fortunately, and to Astrid's great surprise, the twins were actually doing what she and Hiccup both asked them to do. Miracles indeed did seem to happen! Not wanting to jinx herself, Astrid didn't bring it up, just thanked them for the assist and went to work. The group worked hard to clean up their island, tend to injured animals and dragons, and store the extra lumber not burned completely by the Fireworms.

That evening, once they were finished eating and bantering, Hiccup stood to get their attention. "Early tomorrow morning we're heading to resupply at Berk, per Astrid's suggestion," he inclined his head to her.

"...How early are we talking?" Snotlout asked cautiously, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Before the sun rises," Hiccup deadpanned.

Snotlout sat up in his seat. "What!?" he shouted indignantly. "No! Come on! That's too early!"

"We need to get there at a reasonable time, that way we can take care of business and get home all in one day. Isn't that better than having to take several days for just one supply run?" Hiccup questioned, his brow raised.

Snotlout huffed and sat back against his seat, crossing his arms. "I _guess..._ " he grumbled.

"Oh man! I hate waking up early!" Ruffnut whined, slumping and sliding down in her seat. "Come on, boss-man, be reasonable!"

"Yeah! This is unjust! Unreasonable! A travesty to all things sacred!" Tuffnut agreed wholeheartedly, throwing his arms in the air. Near him the chicken clucked and ruffled her feathers in response to his dramatic flailing.

"Oh gods," Hiccup groaned exasperatedly, rubbing his head to stave away the oncoming headache.

"Quit whining," Astrid sighed. "Come on, don't be a bunch of babies. It's one run," she told them.

"Alright look, if you guys stop complaining and _just do it_ , when we get back you can have the day off. Agreed?" Hiccup offered. Finally the more immature ones of the group settled down and finally relented. They spent a little bit discussing what they would bring back and how they would report to their chief about the Fireworms. When they were done, they split up to pack for the trip. Hiccup hung back a bit and caught Astrid hand before she could leave. "Will you join me tonight?" he asked hopefully.

Astrid smiled, squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. "Not tonight, babe. We have to wake up early, after all, remember?" she reminded him.

"Right, right, of course," Hiccup sighed in defeat and let her hand go.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're extremely insatiable?" Astrid asked teasingly with a lifted brow.

Hiccup grinned lopsidedly. "Why you do milady, quite often," he chuckled. "And whose fault is it for spoiling me?"

"I can still fix that, you know," Astrid shot back playfully, eyes narrowed.

Hiccup's eyes widened in false panic, though he wouldn't put it past her to put him in his place like that. "Please don't Astrid, my beautiful, loving, strong, and amazing girlfriend," he begged just as playfully, taking her hand again and laying a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Astrid laughed softly, hiding how his goofy yet charming antics made her heart race. "Well now! When you put it that way, how could I possibly do such a thing?" she cooed in appreciation and kissed him again. Hiccup took advantage of it, gently tugging her this time, closing his mouth over hers. The kiss was gentle and full of promise, but they knew they couldn't take it any further. "Goodnight, my future chief," she whispered against his lips, then pulled away and winked, knowing how saying something like that would make him truly blush and fidget bashfully. The reluctantly split up and went to their own huts, not daring to sleep in the same bed tonight.

The next morning, the trip was uneventful but Snotlout and the twins still managed to find the energy to be grumpy and whine the whole way there. Back on Berk, they were shocked when they were accused of wrecking ships. Stoick demanded they tell him who did it. After a little show from Tuffnut, the only thing they could come up with was a rogue dragon rider. Deciding it needed some investigating, Hiccup rallied them up and led them off to hunt for clues. "I guess we'll have to stay a bit after all you guys," he mentioned regretfully as they flew together, knowing that his friends were tired.

"It's okay, Hiccup," Fishlegs smiled kindly.

"Speak for yourself!" Snotlout snorted.

Even so, they did their due diligence and scoured the wreckages for clues. It was the twins who got the catch of the day, finding a barb that looked a lot like a Deadly Nadder's. Back at the great hall in Berk, Bucket described what he and Mulch witnessed to Fishlegs who sketched it. Once they got a clear picture of what they were dealing with, they turned to the dragon eye, finding out more about the elusive dragon, including its favorite diet of sea slugs. Having a better idea now, they set off to find it... but soon found themselves in trouble when _it_ found _them_. Hiccup chased it down when it failed to attack him, chasing the rider down into a dead end only to discover that it had been their old friend, Heather, all along!

After rescuing them, the gang would not simply take what she did to them lying down and angrily confronted their old friend. "You rolled me into a river!" snarled Snotlout.

"You trapped me in a cave!" Astrid shot out.

"You left me dangling in a tree!" Fishlegs griped, sounding more hurt than angry.

"-And I have to admit, that chicken move? That brought back some memories," Astrid added with a badly concealed smile, impressed with her old friend.

"Guys, now, I'm _sure_ Heather has a really good reason for doing what she did... right?" Hiccup directed toward Heather. And so Heather explained that she needed to rake care of business on her own and didn't trust them to let her do it. Astrid had to wonder why she was so secretive, what was up. She didn't seem like she did any of that to be malicious and didn't want them involved with her problems, but was it really necessary? Hiccup, of course, wouldn't let it go and insisted she go with them to Dragon's Edge.

Back at The Edge, Heather explained how she and Windshear met and then, to everyone's great amusement, save for one, proved to Snotlout how much cooler Windshear was There was a bit of overdue bonding between Heather and the rest of them. Astrid understood Hiccup's need to get down to business and need to ask about the destroyed ships, but wanted to catch up with Heather too, impressed by her skills and of her wickedly awesome battleaxe. Brushing away Hiccup's impatient expression, Astrid took up the nearest weapon to her and charges at the raven-haired female. The others backed out of the way wisely, letting the most skilled of them there duke it out.

That evening, Astrid went looking for Hiccup, figuring they could talk now about what was bothering him. Unfortunately, try as she may, she could not find any signs of him... or Heather for that matter. She frowned thoughtfully, and a little knowingly, figuring their friend had tried to disregard their attempts to calm her and assure her they would help and flew off. If she knew Hiccup, and the gods knew she did, then he went after her to try to talk some sense into her. That... or got roped into helping her in some way. Astrid sighed, feeling a twinge of concern. Either way, she'd only get answers once they, or Hiccup alone, returned... she only hoped they were okay.

The next morning the gang discovered that their dragons had been locked up and Astrid's suspicions were confirmed. Only Heather would think of doing that. They released them went back to the clubhouse. "Why would she do that?" Fishlegs asked softly, frowning sadly as he stroked his beloved Gronkle's flank.

"Cuz she's a traitor!" Snotlout growled.

"Cut it out, you know that's not true," Astrid huffed.

Snotlout scoffed, but none of them really bought into it that he was really that upset with the raven-haired woman. Even so, everyone knew that it was Heather, but they just couldn't understand why she would go to those lengths to keep them at bay. "There's no point making assumptions, I'm sure they'll be back soon and we're get our answers," Fishlegs suggested.

"He's right, don't be so quick to judge her. Let's just all calm down and have breakfast, okay?" Astrid agreed. They settled down with a grumble but ate and waited all the same, their dragons there with them, dining on fish.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Heather and Hiccup to return. Once they landed, the group quickly went over to question her about the dragons, not noticing their own dragons cornering Windshear outside of the clubhouse before Toothless leapt over to defend her. Heather apologized for locking the dragons up and explained her situation, her need to go after Dagur, and how she didn't think they would trust her going after him. To her surprise and relief, they forgave her very quickly, assuring her again that they had her back.

As appreciative as Heather was at their quick acceptance, Astrid took note of how overwhelmed she began to seem when the gang began to try to monopolize her. Knowing she'd need the break, Astrid tugged her away, suggesting they go have some girl time. As they made their way out, Heather didn't miss the look in Hiccup's eyes as he watched them leave, finding it intriguing. "Come on, I want to show you my favorite spot on the island," Astrid explained, taking off on Stormfly. Heather followed and they soon reached a clearing amongst a heavily wooded area. "I come here to train and to escape everyone," she explained, showing off her training equipment.

"Nice," Heather smiled, admiring the designs. "So... everyone, huh?"

"Yup," Astrid nodded, handing her a training axe.

"Everyone, including... Hiccup?" she questioned.

Astrid spoke without thinking, instantly regretting it afterwards. " _Especially_ Hiccup! Sometimes a girl needs some alone time," she shot out, then cringed at what that might sound like and tried to elaborate. "Uh, a girl needs a place to rest and focus without all the boyish excitement over... dragons and adventuring, you know? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for that, but you know, breaks were good too..." she explained lamely. Heather merely smiled knowingly, but let it go for the moment, letting her show her a few of her favorite moves.

After a bit though, Astrid managed to bring up Hiccup all on her own and Heather simply couldn't resist, asking if they were an item. Of course, Astrid reacted predictably, flinging her axe off distractedly before insisting they were only friends, and quite vehemently at that. Heather didn't buy it for one second, having seen how they were together, and pointed it out to her.

Astrid panicked a little, torn between wanting to tell her the truth and not wanting it to get too weird, knowing Heather would probably tease them and break their cover, since she was a lot like her. Then again, hadn't she just told the others not to judge her? Now she felt like a hypocrite. Sighing inwardly, Astrid decided it was best not to dwell, then thought she might as well tease her back and mentioned the other boys, wondering if she'd be interested in one of them. Heather surprised her then by indicating that she might have a thing for Fishlegs. Before she could question her though, Heather asked what else there was to do for fun around there.

And what kind of a host would she be if she didn't entertain?

One might say that Astrid's idea of fun was a bit over the top, others might call her a thrill junkie, like she had accused Hiccup of being once upon a time. To Astrid though, hurtling off a cliff to land on her dragon way below wasn't just entertainment, it was also training! It was something she did to sharpen her reflexes. Heather didn't seem to think so as she learned about what was in store for her and suddenly felt a little regretful for asking. "Um," Heather began, trying to not think about the fact she was actually agreeing to try this attempt at _fun._ "So anyway, wanted to ask. What's with all the intense denial back then?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Astrid asked curiously as they reached the cliff.

"About you and Hiccup," Heather clarified.

Astrid squirmed a little then. "Heather, I told you, we're _just_ friends," she insisted again.

The only thing Astrid's visible discomfort did however was to make Heather hopeful at the obviousness. "I promise I won't tell anyone! I'd never do something as low as that! Come on, I know you're dying to spill..." she grinned.

Astrid wasn't sure it was such a good idea, but then again, Heather was right, she _was_ dying to tell her. "Alright..." she groaned, earning an excited 'yes!' from her friend. "I may or may not be in a relationship with him," she told her.

"What? Girl, come on! You've got to give me more than that! Are you or are you not dating Hiccup?"

"I... am..." Astrid admitted with a blush. Dating was a pretty tame way to describe them, but she wasn't about to tell her how often they made each other scream into the night.

"That's great!" Heather laughed, slapping her back in a comradely manner.

"What's got you so excited? I mean, I'm glad you think it's great, but..?" she trailed off, a bit surprised by how much Heather approved of them.

Heather smiled and shrugged. "I adore the idea of you guys together. I've _always_ felt like there was some sort of tension between you and honestly it was becoming old seeing you guys dance around each other back then. You go girl, there aren't a lot of people out there like Hiccup Haddock."

Astrid grinned, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. "Thanks, and I agree," she replied. "Anyway, enough about boys, _please_. Are you ready for some heart-pulsing fun?" she asked, bouncing on her heels a little.

"Sure," Heather nodded. And so, they girls took turns jumping off the cliff to the waiting dragons below. Understandably, Heather wasn't too fond of it when she missed Windshear's tail and nearly died, and instead asked her to follow her, to show her something.

Heather took her to where Trader Johann was, then began to explain her plan to get to Dagur. Heather wanted to go after him, but Astrid insisted they talk to the others about it first. Heather felt impatient, but still wanted to earn their trust, so in the end she relented and they returned to the clubhouse. Once there, Astrid rounded them all up and Heather explained that they needed to go after Dagur now. It was their last chance. Unfortunately for her, the group insisted they need Hiccup and Toothless to pull the plan off safely. Heather could understand where they were coming from, but couldn't help but get upset and feel a little betrayed by them, feeling like that they still didn't trust her or have her back. Unable to handle it, she stormed off.

Astrid felt guilty for letting her think they didn't care about her, but she knew it would not be a good idea to head off after Dagur without Hiccup and Toothless. "This sucks," she sighed.

They took some time to discuss going, and it was the unlikeliest among them who finally decided they couldn't let their friend go alone. "I say we risk it," Fishlegs suddenly said.

All eyes turned to him in surprise. "Whoa... Fishlegs!" Tuffnut gasped. "Are you stepping up since Hiccup isn't here?" he grinned.

Fishlegs frowned and snorted at him. "I don't have to step up. It's the right thing to do!"

"You're just saying that because you have a crush on Heather," Snotlout sneered.

"I-I do not!" Fishlegs denied sharply.

Astrid's brow shot up at the obvious denial, not aware she was the kettle judging Fishleg's pot for being black. "I think we should go too," she sighed. "She's going to go whether we agree to help or not, and we can't leave a friend hanging, can we?"

"I'm in!" Tuffnut jumped up.

"Me too!" Ruffnut agreed.

"Well Snotlout? Will you join us? We could use your help..." Astrid probed, trying to win him over. He still seemed unsure though and fidgeted slightly. "If you were the one wanting to do something that was personal to you, and knew you would fail without help, wouldn't you want us to go with you to help?" she asked, trying a different tactic. Snotlout snorted pridefully and opened his mouth to speak, but Astrid interrupted him quickly. "Be truthful about this," she insisted.

Snotlout groaned but then sighed. "Alright, fine..." he grunted.

Astrid nodded in approval and rallied them, instructing them to get their dragons and meet at the stables. They split up and before long, rendezvoused at the dragon stables, meeting Heather there. They explained that they couldn't just let her risk her life and wanted to help her, insisting they had her back. Heather was touched that they were willing to go with her and agreed to make it a capture mission, not a kill mission. "So, what's your plan?" Astrid asked curiously.

Heather got a wicked gleam in her eye then. "Hit him where he least expects it!" she smirked. And then they took off, beginning their mission and hoping things wouldn't turn to the worst.

They reached Dagur's armada in good time and began their attempts to disorient and sneak through. Dagur was fortunately confused and paranoid, missing the sneak attack on him. Finally they managed to capture him. Heather nearly killed him, disregarding Astrid's attempts to stop her. Fortunately, Hiccup showed up just on time, distracting her and insisting she not kill her own brother. They were all shocked by this bit of news, but Heather took it hard. Predictably, Dagur tried to use this to his advantage, but they got away anyway. They returned to the edge unharmed but Heather was still at a total loss. "Give her some time," Hiccup told Astrid, sensing her heart breaking for her friend.

Heather's world was a confusing mix of wonder and betrayal. She felt angry, confused, and torn by the events. In the end, she was much too stressed to be around them for the moment, needing to think, and decided to leave. As she knew she would, Astrid confronted her before she could leave and asked her to stay, but Heather had a lot she needed to figure out. "Thanks, Astrid... it was nice, having a friend again," Heather smiled sadly.

Hiccup stepped over to Astrid's side and nodded to the other female, hoping the best for her. They watched her ride off into the sunset. "Hey I know you guys got pretty close. I'm sorry you're losing a friend," Hiccup mentioned a little dolefully.

Astrid smiled and hugged his shoulder. "But, I still have you," she reminded him, placing her hand over his heart. Hiccup's eyes softened, reading between the lines and as Windshear's form disappeared, they turned and hugged each other close, drawing comfort from each other. No one seemed to have an appetite that night and decided to just turn in early. Hiccup and Astrid retire to his hut, but after the full day's events they once again decide to just hold each other. "I can't believe how weird it all is," Astrid murmured against him.

"Yeah, who would have thought, right? They are so different," Hiccup agreed. They remained quiet for a bit, reflecting on the strange news and soon fell asleep.

A few weeks later, things turned bad. Maybe it was because of his recent losses, maybe it was to draw Heather out, maybe it was just him being as deranged as his title, but disaster struck Berk when Dagur decided to stage a hit and run. The result of it was that Astrid nearly lost her parents to the attack. She understandably could barely handle it and went to see them right away, not sensing Hiccup's worried gaze on her as she took off. When she landed near the Yak lanes, she found her parents receiving condolences for their lost home. "Mom! Dad!" Astrid gasped, running over to them. The older Hoffersons turned to her and welcomed her hug, holding their daughter close to them.

"It's alright, sweetheart, we're okay," the older woman insisted.

"I was so worried!" Astrid mumbled against them.

"We're Hoffersons, daughter, we're tough as nails. We could have survived a couple stray stones thrown at us," her father boasted.

Astrid frowned, knowing they were saying these things to try to make her feel better, but it wasn't quite work.

Later that day, after speaking a bit at the academy, the group decided to have a sleep over with Astrid there. Later that night, as they got settled under their blankets, Hiccup was a bit sad over how distant Astrid was, and not just emotionally. They were playing it safe though, sleeping on opposite ends of the group, but she could have been a little closer. Sighing, he decided not to dwell on it. Soon they all fell asleep... all except one.

Astrid simply could not get to sleep, her mind replaying over the events and wonder if she could have made a different. Unable to reason with herself and get to sleep, she decided to go on patrol instead. She got up and began to wander, and it wasn't long before her concerned chief showed up. As was the Haddock way it seemed, Stoick did everything he could to ease her suffering, gave her advice and even went along with her to help keep vigil that night.

Astrid listened to him talk about his experiences as a boy, dealing with dragons and his expectations to live up to the Haddock name. It was hard and a lot of times he didn't feel like he could do it, but he refused to doubt himself and refused to blame himself when things went wrong. Eventually, those doubts wouldn't bother him anymore because he had learned to trust in himself. Stoick told her that she needed to learn to trust herself and look past the negativity that life might present her. Look at it instead as a challenge. Astrid smiled a little and thanked him. Eventually she returned to the arena, feeling a little better... but her mind was still much too active to let her sleep.

The next morning Astrid decided to stay in Berk, to Hiccup's disappointment, not wanting to leave it defenseless. After a bit of discussion, she revealed that she decided to stay so that she could train a new set of riders to be able to defend it. Hiccup admired her idea and let her know that he would be there too, before sending the others off to check on Dagur. Astrid felt both touched and annoyed by him, insisting that she would be the one doing the training. Hiccup insisted right back that he would only be there to defend Berk while she was busy, she wouldn't even know he was there.

Astrid relented and soon began to train the auxiliary rider team to defend Berk. As the day wore down though, Hiccup noticed how tough she was being with everyone. Hiccup tried to talk to her and explain that she couldn't be there to defend Berk every second of the day. Astrid knew this of course, and realized she was being intentionally harsh, but she couldn't figure out any other way to cope. Hiccup interrupted her melancholy thoughts and told her that was heading back to Berk to check on the others, he'd be back in a few days. He gave her a longing look but knew she was too wound up to show him much affection at the moment. He left then without another word. Astrid knew she hurt him, but couldn't find it in herself to do anything about it. Instead she went back to training her team, though made the effort to take a slightly less aggressive stance this time.

When they received terror mail a day later, explaining the situation on Dragon's Edge, Astrid refused to take the auxiliary team to help defend Dragon's Edge, feeling like they were not ready for that sort of thing, then left without another word. Astrid raced to the Edge, wondering if it had all been an elaborate trap. When she got there, the battle was already underway. The battle was tough and she nearly got herself chopped in half by Dagur, but the team she had been training disobeyed her and showed up anyway. In the end, with their help, they turned the tables and managed to defeat Dagur and his men. After the excitement, Astrid addressed them, scolding them for disobeying her, but praising them for acting like true Riders, accepting them as Berk's new defenders and appointing a thrilled Gustav as Captain.

That night, Astrid surprised Hiccup by crawling into his bed and hugging him. Hiccup welcomed her as he always did, tangling his legs with hers, pulling her close and kissing her hair soothingly. "I'm sorry I was so cold with you this past week..." she mumbled.

Hiccup's hold on her tightened slightly. "I understand. Everyone needs time to themselves once in a while. You did what you thought you needed to do and hey, things turned out great in the end. I'm proud of you! You were every bit a chief this past week as my dad or your claims that I am," he told her.

"Thank you, Hiccup," Astrid smiled at him, laying a feather light kiss over his lips. Hiccup chased her lips as she pulled away, grinning against her when she gave in and let him deepen the kiss. They pulled away after a bit, content and warm, then fell into a thoughtful silence.

For a moment Hiccup wondered if she had fallen asleep, but then just as he began to start to doze off, he suddenly felt her shaking a little. He held her closer to him, knowing she was still struggling with what had happened before. "Everything will be just fine, Astrid," he murmured, trying to assure her.

Astrid nodded against him, accepting his words and trying to take it to heart. "Thank you, Hiccup, really..." she repeated. A part of her feeling a twinge of displaced longing, a part of her niggling at her since years ago that made her feel lost. She drew comfort from his presence, feeling it soothe the confusing feelings. "Thank you for being there for me, not just as you are now, but back in Berk too... back... back then too. I know I hurt you but... you stuck by me, I... I'd... I'd be lost without you," she admitted, hoping he understood what she meant.

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully, wondering where this was coming from suddenly. He had a feeling she didn't just mean this past week. "Astrid, you always have me, you always will, no matter what," he assured her again. "You know that."

"I.. I know," she replied, blinking away tears of relief and snuggled closer to him. Hiccup sighed inwardly, once again feeling at a loss with her. Most of the time things were great, happy, and blissful too... but sometimes something happened that seemed to jar his normal stalwart and steadfast girlfriend, shook her to her core and set her off balance. Something would happen and she would revert to... to almost like she had been years ago, when she had cried in his arms for the first time. Hiccup held her closer and prayed to the gods that whatever was happening with her would end soon.

One month later, things would only get worse for them however.

After some terrifying events involving a new set of enemies and Astrid nearly drowning, Hiccup became overwhelmed and unable to handle it as the days wore down. Of course, on the outside he kept his cool, tried to hold his team together. After dealing with Ryker, Dagur, and of all people _Heather_ and getting Stormfly back, Hiccup simply could not leave Astrid's side, no matter how often she assured him that she was just fine and to knock it off.

Normally Astrid would _love_ that Hiccup was being protective of her, even when she knew well that she was more thank capable of taking care of herself, somethings his overprotective attitude, when _he knew as well_ that she was tough and could handle things, it began to irritate her. Astrid knew of course that he was scared that he had almost lost her, and the gods knew she would be exactly the same around him if it happened to him, but things were not going well those past few months. This was no time to doubt each other.

And so, later that day, Astrid decided to confront him over this. "I'm- I'm sorry, Astrid..." Hiccup apologized, blushing in embarrassment. "I know you're strong and capable, but I... but I almost lost you..." he said in a subdued tone. Astrid felt her irritation melt away at the forlorn look on his face. Her expression softened and she pulled him into a hug, letting him hold her tightly, assuring him she was okay.

That night, it was Astrid's turn to be surprised when Hiccup showed up in the dead of night at her hut this time. "Can I... stay?" he asked her. Astrid could only lay there and blink in disbelief, not able to comprehend that he was actually asking for permission to join her in her bed. "I just... need..." he trailed off, looking away.

Astrid lifted herself up and took his hand without another word, and tugged him to her. "It goes both ways, you know..." she spoke gently, her arms around him, holding him securely against her chest.

"Huh?" Hiccup glanced up at her where he lay against her, soothed by the feeling of her fingers caressing his scalp.

Astrid never stopped, loving the look of bliss in his eyes. "You're always welcomed in my arms," she clarified with a knowing smile. "You don't ever have to ask for permission... well, unless you piss me off," she grinned weakly.

Hiccup smiled back and nodded. "That's good to know. Thank you," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her and held her tight. Astrid was surprised when he simply wanted to hold her that night, though she certainly couldn't blame him. The past few months events had only gotten worse and this day's in particular had worn her out as well.

They talked a bit about the new obstacle, Ryker, and how Heather had betrayed them, after she spent all that time earning their trust again. "I can't believe it... it can't be real, can it? Heather... I mean, sure she took it hard after finding out that Dagur was her brother, but to join him..?" Hiccup sighed, drifting off into silent reflection. Astrid bit her lip, knowing that she didn't actually betray them, but swore not to tell. She felt guilty but couldn't do much about it right now, she had promised not to reveal her. Instead she simply lay there with him in silence again. They took comfort in each other, willing sleep to sweep them away and make them forget.

Unfortunately for Astrid, forget was the last thing her mind wanted to do. And so her dreams took on a dark turn, like they had been doing a lot more lately.

 _In her dreams she was back in the ocean, gasping for breath, her strength leaving her as wave upon wave crashed angrily onto her body. "N-No! No! Hic-" she felt herself get pushed under the water and struggled to get back to the surface. She coughed and gasped, panic seizing her heart, helpless and alone. Where was he? Why wasn't he there? "T-Toothless!" she called out, hoping his better hearing would detect her voice. "Hiccup!" she shrieked for him, using what little strength she had left to desperately call out._

 _Just then, she felt a sharp sense of relief shoot through her as Hiccup flew over to her, hovering with Toothless just above her. "I-I'm down here! Hey! Hey!" she called out, but they did not seem to see or hear her. A death grip of fear strangled her heart, knowing deep down that they would not notice her there. Just as they began to fly off, she felt herself sink further and further into the waters, blackness surrounding her. Astrid screamed for him but only felt icy water fill her lungs for her effort. It was useless to fight it... he would not save her this time. The blackness suffocated her senses until all she could do was black out._

 _When she came to again, she found herself in a void of darkness cold and alone. She called for anyone, everyone, but there was no one there, just coldness and darkness. She screamed for Hiccup, but only heard her own desperate voice echoing around her. The loneliness and grief suffocates her much like the water had, pressing down until she could not breathe. She felt it crushing her, felt it draining her life away in her solitude. There was no one, no one to save her, nothing but emptiness._

Astrid struggled herself awake, gasping greedily for oxygen, jerking in the bed. All around her was darkness, surrounding her, panic filled her, the deep gnawing loneliness and fear of losing the love of her life a tagged sword to her heart. "Hiccup! Hiccup!" she screamed, kicking wildly, rejecting the darkness around her. "No! Please!"

Hiccup woke up with a gasp, jerking to look around the room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary... except of course when he instantly felt Astrid thrashing. Hiccup rolled over and gripped her arms to keep her from hitting him. "Astrid! Hey!" he shouted, trying to get through to her. "Astrid! It's just a dream! You're okay!"

Astrid heard his voice, felt his hands on her and slumped in relief. "Hiccup..." she moaned in relief, finally coming to her senses. "Gods!" she cried, and pressed tightly into him, hiding her face against his shoulder, feeling little shudders running through her.

"Astrid..." Hiccup mumbled sadly, wrapping his arms securely around her. This wasn't new to him, had woken up to Astrid in the icy grips of nightmares too many times before. "What was it about this time? Do you want to talk about it?" he asked patiently.

Astrid remained silent for a moment, simply reveling in his soothing body heat, in the feel of him holding her lovingly against him. He was there, she was okay, and she was not alone. She repeated this to herself, that all was well now, that it was simply a nightmare.

Finally calming down, Astrid spoke about her nightmare to him, about drowning, both physically and emotionally, with no way out. She told him how she felt, losing everything, the pain in her heart far worse than the pain from the water filling her lungs.

When she finished, she lay there silently, drowning, this time in his warmth and security, letting it soak into her, thankful to him with all her heart that he had come for her. "This past season had... started out so well..." she mumbled regretfully, whimpering a little. "Why did things have to go down hill so often these days?" she asked shakily.

Hiccup's hold on her tightened, unsure exactly of what to tell her, how to soothe her, not even knowing the answer himself. "Well..." he began with a struggle. "Life would be boring if it was peaceful all the time, right..?" he ventured gently, hoping she accepted this at least.

Astrid remained silent for a moment. Part of her agreed with Hiccup, knew that life sent challenges at them to make the stronger, to teach them lessons, or simply to keep life from becoming to static, but... she simply did not feel up to debating philosophy, after all, and instead simply closed her eyes. "I... suppose..." she relented quietly, leaving it at that.

Hiccup rubbed her back until she relaxed and he felt her fall asleep.

This time Hiccup was the one that was unable to sleep, his thoughts going back to Astrid's nightmare. He knew that anyone would have nightmares after nearly drowning, but there seemed to be something more to this. He wondered not for the first time what could be the true source of the frequency of her nightmares.

These dreams did not seem normal. Did it have something to do with that... that vision? Hiccup again felt like he was lacking a lot of information, but didn't want to push her, especially not now. His hold on her tightened again and he hoped once more that she would tell him more about it some day soon.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Surprise! I updated again! Part of this chapter, specifically the first part, was sort of a request. I didn't write out each of these episodes in chapters because I hadn't had any real intention of writing then in the first place. I however did feel like recaps with a little insight on Hiccstrid feelings for some of the episodes that I felt was significant was worth it. Also, I do love the "bromance" between Astrid and Heather, so I was happy to address it._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **asian-simbae** : I'm so sorry to hear that! Hopefully you'll be able to see it soon! I'll try not to spoil it any more than I probably already have._

 _ **Rookie08B** : Yeah I'm not sure what's up with all the modern AU's. I will definitely write more in the future :)_

 _ **lp24** : I'd never give up on this story! I have big plans for it. Eventually, all things will line up and something will happen ;)_

 _ **LadyCoraa** : I am :D_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : I'm glad you do! I went back and beefed up the Hiccstrid moments, felt like I could do better._


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"Fuel to Fire" by Agnes Obel._

* * *

It has now been a few weeks after things from Ryker, Dagur and now _Heather_ seemed to have died down a bit, and after the whole Lycanwing debacle.

Astrid slowly woke up in her hut, lost in thought, staring out her window, listening to the gentle waves moving along the beach below the main compound. The shield-maiden watched as the rays from the sun spilled through the modest opening, coating the warm-toned wood in its golden rays. She lay there a moment longer than usual, watching the dust gently float in the light, a strange feeling washing over her that morning, much like the gentle wave she had been admiring. The odd sensation felt a little like disorientation, loss and deja vu all rolled into one. Astrid tried to analyze the feeling and by doing so, she felt then a sudden and inexplicable need to turn over in bed and look toward the direction of Hiccup's hut. She felt impossibly drawn to it, a sudden and intense feeling of longing for him, unlike any she felt before, filled her. This was not a sexual longing, not at all, she simply... missed him. She missed him with an ache in her heart powerful enough that it nearly scared her.

For a second Astrid had to wonder why she had suddenly had the need to keep from him the past week, after the whole stolen Stormfly incident. It wasn't like she had been feeling the need to take a break from him, it wasn't like she didn't want to be with him every second of the day, not at all! If anything, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was always on her mind, always a drug in her veins she was inescapably insatiable for. No, this was something entirely different. Something told her to ease up and take her sweet time with him, even if it meant sleeping apart since... only the gods knew when! It didn't seem like something she would willingly do, either... at least, not for that length of time, so she had to wonder what was up.

Even with the time spent apart, it wouldn't explain this longing.

Unable to figure out what was wrong with her that morning, Astrid decided she had better things to do than to dwell on it, chalking it up to all the intense events lately, and paid it no mind. Instead, she pushed herself up to prepare for the day. Swinging her legs over the bed, she went to stand up, only to feel another type of sensation crash through her... unexplained dizziness. For a second her mind felt fuzzy, foggy, and she swore she almost heard an echo of her own thoughts, panic and disbelief rolling through her for a split second. Astrid took several moments to blink and focus before finally getting back her senses. She frowned thoughtfully to the bizarre sensation as the dizziness passed. Unsure what to make of it, she went back to getting herself ready, figuring she could go see Gothi on their next supply run.

As she took her time moving about her room, something definitely began to feel weirdly off about that day. Since waking up she had felt an odd sense of deja vu, but it was steadily growing worse. It didn't make sense, since it was not like she never got up the same way and got ready in the same manner. This day was like any other... wasn't it? A part of Astrid knew that she should feel weirded out by all of this, but something made it so that she simply couldn't bring herself to be, compelled to just go about her day as usual.

It was then Astrid noticed that a warm tingle was in the back of her mind, had been there in fact since she first woke. It was a hauntingly familiar feeling, a feeling she hadn't felt for several years. It almost felt like... like Freyja's presence? But then, she received no indication from her goddess that she was there, no indication that she was interfering with her again in any way. The last time, if she remembered correctly, she got several hints from her. This time, not a one. Was it her? Or was she simply going stark raving mad? A humorous part of her guessed it could all be due to withdrawal from _her drug._ Too long without being in his arms and she went crazy, that was certainly true!

If it _was_ Freyja though, maybe she was just checking up on her? Astrid snorted at the thought. Surely a GOD would have more important things to do than to look in on one, insignificant little mortal? She shook her head and decided she couldn't dwell on that all day either and went back to getting ready. Come what may, she would get her answered eventually. After a bit, Astrid adjusted to the odd sensations and finished getting her things in order. After clipping on her armor, she calmly made her way out of her hut, toward the clubhouse, admiring the beauty of the outpost as she often did. Again she felt that strange deja vu, this time accompanied by another strange echo in her emotions, like a feeling of loss and confusion once more. Astrid paused and collected herself, wondering what was going on. When the feelings went away again, she continued on and went inside the clubhouse.

As soon as she stepped inside the clubhouse, every one of the feelings returned, much stronger than before, making her nearly trip, the sight of her friends scattered about in oddly familiar ways spurring them on. Where she stood, she saw Snotlout standing in the center, near the central hearth. Fishlegs stood nearer to herself, happily munching on his breakfast. The twins lay sprawled over the floor, not a care in the world. Just then, Fishlegs startled her out of her thoughts, having noticed her walk in. "Oh hey, Astrid! There you are," he smiled cheerfully, before digging back into his boar. Meatlug lay by him, sleepy eyes watching the others in the room, waiting for her human to occasionally scrap some food off his plate for her.

Astrid frowned thoughtfully for a moment, before deciding it was just coincidence and answered back automatically. "Good morning, guys," she said simply, then took a plate of food and walked over to a small table on the other end of the clubhouse, idly listening to Snotlout speak. As she settled in her chair, she frowned again, paying closer to what Snotlout was saying.

"So anyway, the little Monstrous Nightmares now tend to follow Hookfang around everywhere he goes when he goes to meet up with his girlfriend," he snorted. "He's totally whipped... even taking care of her kids! What a sad sight," he huffed, hiding how proud he was of his dragon behind his rudeness, then cringed and looked about him, expecting his dragon to retaliate. He took a second to breathe a sigh of relief, remembering then that most of their dragons were taking the morning to sleep in.

Astrid tuned him out then as he went on, swearing she had heard remnants of this conversation before, she must have! Of course, she knew what he was talking about, had experienced that crazy event with all of them just a few days ago, witnessed Hookfang step up and defeat an Alpha Monstrous Nightmare, even saw the cute little things hatch. However, the actual conversation he was going on about was something that was much too similar to something she swore she heard before. "Hey... Snotlout?"

Said short male paused and glanced over to her. "What's up, gorgeous?" he asked with a _seemingly_ flirtatious wink.

Astrid shuddered and scowled at him. Disregarding that, she went on with her question. "Have you spoken to us about all this before? About the baby nightmares, about Hookfang being whipped?"

Snotlout lifted a brow. "Uh, no! Why would I repeat myself? That'd be such a waste of time. I need that time to work out," he winked, earning another scowl from her before going back to his tale.

Astrid's brows furrowed thoughtfully as she settled back, swearing she had heard this conversation before, almost word for word... but that was crazy! She began then to become concerned, that earlier feeling was a constant irritation now. It was completely unsettling, having a continual sense of deja vu. Astrid was so lost in thought that she failed to hear Hiccup walk over to her, didn't notice he was standing by her until he spoke. "Good morning, Astrid," he said softly. Said axe-wielder jumped in surprise and whipped her head up to look at him so fast she popped something in her neck.

Hiccup lifted a curious brow at the intense reaction, then simply stretching out his arm to offer her a familiar mug. Astrid was lost in wonder, only able to stare at him. Unable to help herself for reasons beyond her understanding, her eyes drank the sight of him in, eagerly tracing every one of his features presented to her. His messy hair, the little braids poking out to the side, his piercing green eyes, low, slightly scruffy jaw, his slender, yet sturdy form covered in leather armor. She drank in his presence as though this were the first time in many years that she had seen him. But that wasn't right, was it? Confused and a little overwhelmed, she could only sit there and stare for a moment, part of her knowing he was becoming just as confused by the second.

Just then, Tuffnut spoke, breaking the strange spell that spilled over her. "Hey, Hiccup! What is that anyway? Can I try it?" Tuffnut leaned over, nearly falling over as Hiccup took a step back, pulling the mug out of the way. Astrid watched this unfold in rapt attention, blinking slowly as the sense of deja vu grew worse and worse.

Hiccup jerked away as Tuffnut tried to take a swipe for it again. "Ah, you... won't like it, I promise," he stuttered slightly, shifting a little uncomfortably where he stood by her. Astrid knew of course why he didn't want anyone else to get their hand on the tea, knew that if they found out what it was and why _he_ was giving it to _her,_ they would _never_ leave them alone about it.

Tuffnut crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How do you know I won't like it? Do you know what I like? Wait, do you?" he tilted his head, regarding him for a moment. "I wouldn't be surprised, you've always had an uncanny ability to know people," he nodded, then gasped, jerking away. "Wait! Can you read thoughts? Is that why? Are you reading mine right now? Stop reading my thoughts!" he clutched his helmet and flinched away from Hiccup dramatically, earning an eye-roll from just about everyone there, even the Gronkle, surprisingly.

"Hiccup, stop reading his thoughts!" Ruffnut said then, jumping up to comfort her whimpering brother, patting his back soothingly.

Snotlout snorted nearby. "Mutton-heads..." he muttered to himself, resting his chin on his palm over the center table where he leaned. Fishlegs didn't seem interested in the conversation at all, though he shot the twins an amused glance now and then.

Hiccup sighed, muttering under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose to keep his headache at bay. "I can assure you, I can't read thoughts," he told them in a tone as patient as he could get it at the moment, leveling them with a wary eye.

"Oh thank Thor!" Tuffnut shouted in relief, collapsing back onto the floor, arms splayed out.

Hiccup collected his patience for a second before turning back toward Astrid, inclining his head toward the still offered mug. "Will you take it?" he asked quietly, trying not to draw the attention of the others again as they went on with other conversations.

Astrid finally reached over to take it, but just as she did, their fingers brushed. Normally that would only bring a smile to their lips, but this time, as soon as she made that tiny bit of physical contact with him, that's when the feelings suddenly intensified to an unbearable degree, boiling inside her mind and nearly making her cry out in pain as they suffocated her. This happened in a span of a few seconds, until something sharp clicked inside her mind, then all of sudden the feelings disappeared, leaving a new sensation in their wake... stark clarity.

Memories rushed through her mind and Astrid choked down a strangled gasp, intense recognition making her shiver and freeze. She remembered this! She did everything she could to keep her eyes from widening, not wanting to startle her already concerned boyfriend. She knew this day! This was the very first day she had experienced during her trip to the future! After so long, so much heart ache, so much doubt that it would ever happen, she had finally caught up! Was that what those echoes were? Was it her younger self and her current self synchronizing?

Hiccup cleared his throat subtly, make her jump again, jarred from her thoughts and blush in embarrassment. Remembering that Hiccup was still offering the moontea, Astrid took the mug without a word and began sipping on it idly, trying to hide her amazement and bewilderment behind it. For the moment, she was much too lost in her own thoughts to do much more than nod at him in appreciation for it. It was the oddest thing, it was almost like she was re-experiencing this day the same way she had before... but only, completely adapted to life here and able to process everything correctly. And now she was starting to sound like Fishlegs. Brushing that off, figuring it was best not to try to think about too hard, she focused on her present, not her past... even though technically it was still her future... no, no, not going to think about it! Astrid resisted physically shaking her head.

Hiccup had said nothing after she took the mug, but Astrid could plainly feel his eyes on her, never leaving her as she sat nursing her mug. Unlike last time, Hiccup forewent walking back over to the others to instead lean against the wall beside her seat, a little more guarded and confused by her unexplained quietness and odd reactions than he probably was last time. But for her, just like last time, his mere close proximity made her heart race with a thousand gallops, like it did when she was sixteen. Had it all been boiling down to this moment? The past week feeling lost and wistful?

Astrid paid no mind to what Snotlout was saying ...again. Instead, her mind was deeply intrenched in her thoughts. Astrid struggled a little to absorb all of this, remaining silent to adjust to it. It wasn't like she didn't want to re-experience all of these moments again, she did! She had just simply forgotten about it the past year, too wrapped up in her present to think about her future. She hadn't even truly expected things to happen the same way... she hadn't been prepared for this. She almost wanted to throw back her head and laugh at how twisted this all was, but didn't want them to think she was high off herbs.

This was what Freyja had meant about the future waiting for her! Her goddess had been right after all, over the past three years with him, her love for him had grown and matured just as his had. They were completely in sync now, heart, mind, and soul. It really was a gift. The warm tingle seemed amused for a second before, to her surprise, it faded away. Astrid took a second to collect herself from the feeling of loss it gave her.

So that _had_ been Freyja!

As she sat there watching, she latched onto the scenes unfolding before her, nostalgia making her smile a little as her friends bantered. She could still feel Hiccup eying her curiously now and then, something she had not noticed from him before, though perhaps it was because she knew him so well now. She could feel his concern over her quietness, could tell he had questions on the tip of his tongue, but he said nothing, waited for her to bring it up.

Astrid knew that this time, Freyja was not there to interfere, she knew she had all the capability to speak her mind and wondered if she should tell them. Should she tell them about what was happening to her? Should she explained what had happened before? But then... how would she even begin to explain it all? No, Astrid needed to think clearly about this first.

Astrid was then distracted when Snotlout and Tuffnut broke into a fight, but this time she remained silent, watching them yank on each others hair like a bunch of kids. After a bit, Hiccup had just about enough and went to go break them up on his own. He stepped around them, avoiding their flailing, grabbed his shield that was resting on a chair, then arched his back with the shield above his head, and slammed it between them.

The shock of hitting Gronkle iron jarred the two quarreling Vikings. Hiccup took advantage of their surprise and grabbed Snotlout's shoulder, yanking him with a little effort off of the thinner man beneath him, again displaying that same hidden strength that always made Astrid lose her breath.

Hiccup scowled at them. "Alright, will you two mutton-heads knock it off, _please_?" he shouted at them, trying to get their attention.

Snotlout shrugged out of his hold and pointed at the blond like a child whining to a parent. "He started it!" he shouted.

Tuffnut dusted himself off and puffed his chest, balling his fist and pressing it to his chest theatrically. "Why yes!" he began with a flair. "Yes I did start it! It was on purpose, you see!" he finished with his finger up in the air in a stagey manner.

Hiccup tilted his head slightly, giving him a tolerant look. "Oh?" he questioned, his brow raising. Astrid watched both wistfully and in amusement as the slightly familiar conversation took place. She didn't remember everything that happened, especially if it didn't involve Hiccup and herself, but she remembered enough to feel nostalgic over it.

Tuffnut nodded, his braids flapping with the exaggerated movement. "You see, young Hiccup, I had felt that our bond as friends, nay- as _men_ was lacking! Therefor, I simply had to remedy it! I merely started this scuffle with good Snotlout because communication with fists between brethren is just too potent to ignore!" Snotlout's hand he had still been pointing with dropped and he stared at the taller man in disbelief. Then grunted in annoyance, scowling in disbelief. Just then the chicken waddled over and clucked seemingly angrily, pecking at Tuffnut's boots. Tuffnut grabbed the chicken and gave it a hard stare. "Jealousy is not a good color on you, Chicken," he reminded it.

Astrid heard a smack then and knew Hiccup's face was reintroduced to his hand. "Oh gods..." he muttered in watched him then as he walked around the table to sit on the seat opposite her, his hand resting on the table. Astrid set her mug down, making sure to gently grace her knuckles against him, drawing his attention. Hiccup glanced over to her and Astrid again felt her emotions get caught in her throat. What was wrong with her? It wasn't like this was the first time she was with him! She managed a frail smile, drawing his attention more, his eyes narrowing in concern. Astrid avoided his gaze then, not needing him to drag her away and question her, needing to collect herself first.

"So what's the plan, Hiccup?" Fishlegs spoke up, snapping their leader out of his own thoughts.

"Huh? Ah, right," he turned back to them. "Now that we're all here, we can talk about what do today... I have some ideas, but I thought I'd ask you guys first," he said. Astrid titled her head thoughtfully, not remembering him saying that bit. Then again, she really didn't remember quite as much as she thought, maybe he had said this before.

Ruffnut chose then to speak up, waving her arm in the air from her spot on the floor. "Oooh! I know! How about- and here me out, -something involving wanton destruction? Eh? Eh?" she suggested with a wide grin. When Hiccup merely gave her an impatient stare, she threw her arms out. "C'mon!"

Hiccup leaned over a little. " _No!_ " he responded without a beat.

Tuffnut was just as disappointed in his answer as his sister. "Tyrant. You never let us have any fun," he grumbled.

Hiccup shook his head. " _Moving on_ ," he said.

Astrid listened then as they debated searching the foggy areas near Dragon's Edge for new dragons, lenses, or other interesting things. Astrid was relieved that he seemed distracted from his earlier concern with her... though she knew him well enough to know without a doubt that he was keeping it in mind, even if he didn't outwardly show it. Taking the opportunity anyway, Astrid simply sat there and listened, still reeling, still unable to believe this was all happening again. Even if a part of her denied it, doubted it, another part of her knew of course that she would eventually have to catch up to the future she saw, one way or another, but it was still amazing.

Astrid had been lost in thought again and jumped when she heard Hiccup call her. "Astrid. You've been... _very_ quiet this morning. Where do you think we should go?" he asked carefully. This time, when he mentioned she had been quiet, his eyes bore into her, focusing on her like a hawk targeting its prey. Astrid shivered under the intense gaze. Yes, he _definitely_ still had his concern for her in mind. It was then that she noticed _all_ eyes were on her. Astrid frowned thoughtfully, trying to ignore Hiccup's penetrating stare.

Should they go to boar island, ...or somewhere more promising? She knew where she _wanted_ to go, since she'd rather keep to the way things were when she first experienced them. It was selfish of her, wanting those things again... and yet, who was she to mess with time? But then, would it make sense to intentionally lead them to another deadend? In the end though, she knew what her heart told her she had to do. She decided to play it safe. "I say we give boar island another shot, we might get lucky. Besides, it's the safest bet, it's not too big, easy to explore, and the only real threat is the feral boar."

Snotlout chose to jump at her words then, indignant. "The only _real_ threat? They're vicious!" he spat out in disbelief, his eyes bugging out. "Come on, Astrid..." he protested, knowing her word would be the one to truly decide it for their leader.

Ruffnut snorted in amusement, this time being the one to tease him. "What is it, Snotty? A big strong guy with a deadly dragon like yourself is really going to let a bunch of bacon scare him off?" she sneered.

"I'm _not_ scared..." Snotlout growled, his pride hurt.

Before Tuffnut could add in and rile up the hotheaded shorter man again, Hiccup chose then to jump in. "It's settled then! Boar island it is!"

Snotlout whined, knowing this would happen, slumping against his chair. "No, come on! We should at least take a vote!" he protested.

"Alright then, all in favor of boar island raise a hand," Hiccup said, earning approval from everyone but his cousin. "Sorry, Snotlout, looks like you've been outvoted," he grinned cheekily, not at all sorry about it.

Snotlout scowled, arms crossed broodingly. "Ugh... fine..." he relented gloomily.

This bit of news made the twins very happy. "Yeah! More boars for the boar pit!" Tuffnut cheered and smashed his head with his sister's in 'celebration'. " _Boar pit_!" they both yelled excitedly.

Hiccup rolled his eyes goodnaturedly and stood from his seat. "Alright gang, let's move out," Hiccup said, watching them disperse to prepare for the trip.

As they headed out, Hiccup then turned to her, like Astrid, this time, knew he would do, knowing he would not let his growing concern for her slip by. "Astrid," he began, leveling her with that same intense look from earlier. "What's wrong with you today?" he asked carefully, leaning a little toward her. "Is everything okay? You haven't spoken much at all this morning, except when I asked you where to go... and then you've had these... looks on your face..." he trailed off.

Astrid shivered again at his nearness, feeling his warm breath on her cheeks. Fortunately, she had finally managed to get a hold of herself and smiled wistfully at him, answering him calmly. "I'm alright, Hiccup," she assured him.

Hiccup tilted his head. "Are you really?" he asked, concern still spilling out of him. "I've only ever seen you look this lost when you've had a nightmare..." he murmured. "Astrid, if you're having a problem-"

"-I'm not!" Astrid insisted, resisted banging on the table in frustration. Why did he have to be so stubborn? She took a second to calm down and shook her head. "Hiccup, really, it's okay!"

Hiccup's brows knitted, not really convinced. "If you need time to-"

Astrid interrupted again, becoming impatient. "Hiccup, please trust me, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought. I guess... I guess maybe I'm just tired, woke up on the wrong side of the bed, a little disorientated, that's all."

Hiccup took a second to study her before his shoulders slumped in defeat, knowing she was like him when it came to being obstinate. "Alright, Astrid," he agreed reluctantly. He smiled then in thought. "You know, maybe it's your bed that's the problem... there _are_ other options. You haven't really taken them much lately..."

Astrid lifted a brow, laughing a little. "Options? Plural? What like the twins? Fishlegs? Snotlout?" she teased.

Hiccup fidgeted predictably. "No... I meant with _me_ of course..." he mumbled a little crankily. "You're always free to join me. I won't even try anything if you really don't want it... you're welcome in my arms, you know that... so... you should come back," he reminded her gently, hope in his eyes. Astrid's own eyes softened at this, touched by his words and feeling guilty for staying away so often. Gods did she miss those arms. Hiccup smiled at her gentle expression, eased by it, and offered a hand to her. Astrid grinned back, placing hers in his much larger one, then gasped a little when he tugged her up and right up against his chest, his arms wrapping around her, trapping her against him.

Astrid felt her world spin into a puddle of euphoria, radiant warmth filling her, eyes drooping from the ecstasy of just being held by him after so long. She wrapped her own around around him, letting out a deep sigh of pure content as she snuggled closer to his tall form. "I'm sorry for teasing..." she murmured, nuzzling her cheek against his neck.

Hiccup shrugged lightly, trying not to jostle her. "It's alright. I can handle a little teasing," he smiled, kissing the cheek exposed to him. They stood there, simply basking in their feelings for one another, no words needed between them. After a little while though, they knew they couldn't risk being this way for too long. "We should probably go pretty soon before they come looking for us though..." he mumbled softly.

"Mnnh..." Astrid groaned in protest, her hold on him tightening. Hiccup made no move to remove her, so it fell on her to reluctantly separate from him. They didn't want to, resisted it, every step away from each other hurting worse than the next, but in the end they forced themselves to split up to go prepare. They gave each other one last smile before setting off to their own huts.

As Astrid prepared for the trip, her mind wandered. She had several choices available to her now. Should she play it out like she had before? Should she let the pieces fall where they landed, or should she diverge from what she remembered and do things differently this time around? Was that even a wise thing to do? She could also... _alter_ events to her liking, if she remembered them well enough, but then she figured a lot of them weren't so bad to begin with. Not much happened in those three months that she could remember needing to be altered. What harm was there letting them carry on how they did before? This time though, Astrid would _not_ make the mistake of scaring Hiccup into thinking she had lost interest in him intimately, like she had managed to do before.

Hearing her name being called, she figured it was time to head out and finished up. She ran over to where she could see Stormfly and Toothless chasing each other and greeted the others. "We all set to go?" she asked curiously.

"Yep! Let's go, gang!" Hiccup announced, climbing onto Toothless and getting ready to have him take off.

Once they were all ready, they flew off prepared to see what the day held in store for them. Before long they landed on the island. Snotlout flinched at every rustling bush. "Alright guys, you know the drill. We'll meet up at the decided rendezvous if anyone finds any trouble. Tuff, you're with Fishlegs. Ruff, you're with Snotlout. Astrid, you're with me. Let's comb the island and report back in two hours, got it?"

They split up then and Astrid was slightly surprised by the change of events, though it did make sense with how things were this time around. Still, last time she had been paired with Fishlegs to search the island, not with _him_. "Hiccup... what are you plotting?" she asked curiously, eying him suspiciously.

"I'm not plotting anything," he protested. "This isn't the first time we teamed up, is it?"

"Well, no..." she trailed off. Astrid knew he was still worried about her odd attitude and wanted to keep an eye on her. What could she tell him though? 'Well gee, Hiccup! Last time we lived this we didn't pair up today!' ...nope, not yet anyway, not until she figured out how to explain it all.

Hiccup rubbed the back on his neck in thought. "I guess I just wanted to... spend some time with you. We haven't seen much of each other lately," he reminded her.

Astrid frowned sadly, again feeling guilty. "I'm really sorry about that, Hiccup..." she mumbled softly.

The one-legged Viking shook his head. "No, I get it. I mentioned it before, didn't I? We all need some time to ourselves once in a while. I guess I'm just being selfish."

Astrid's eyes softened and she shook her head. "You're not being selfish," she assured at him.

True to the plan, they search the island, talking idly about whatever came to mind. It was nice once in a while to just be together without the need to ravish each other. When the two hours were up, they realized they hadn't noticed the time go by.

"We should do this more often," Hiccup smiled softly.

"What? Roam around an island aimlessly?" Astrid offered teasingly.

"Well, yeah! Just because we're flying around without being very productive, doesn't mean it's not fun with the right person," he grinned.

"You've got a point there, Haddock. And our dragons certainly like it! Don't you girl?" Astrid pat Stormfly's flank affectionately, earning a happy trill.

When they reached the meet up point, they noticed that at least some of them used the time wisely. Just as before, the boars were just as vicious as they ever were, but the twins managed to wrangle themselves a good few of them. They did however notice that one of their teammates was missing. Snotlout was nowhere to be seen. "I'll go look for him," Astrid offered, taking off again on Stormfly to look around for him.

When she spotted him, Astrid landed on a large clearing near where Snotlout was, then watched as a massive, enraged boar jumped out of the bushes near him. It snarled and snorted, taking threatening steps toward the short Viking. Snotlout's blood drained from his face. "Oh, Thor!" he gasped, backing up.

The shield-maiden was about to rush over to help him, but she noticed that he had packed a club with him. "Snotlout!" she called as the boar began to chase him. "Use your club!" she shouted.

"What!?" Snotlout shrieked, dodging bites from the crazed swine.

Astrid grunted in annoyance. "Your club! Use it!" she told him impatiently.

"Oh right!" Snotlout grabbed his club from his belt and suddenly spun on his heel, bringing the club around and using his own momentum from running to smash the club into the boar's head with enough force to send it hurtling into a tree. The boar smashed into it and fell with a loud thump, completely knocked out cold. "Snotlout!" said short Viking cried victoriously, pumping his fist.

Astrid rolled her eyes at his boyish enthusiasm. "Good job, nice hit," she praised him, then instantly regretted it.

Snotlout puffed and leveled her with his attempt at another flirtatious expression. "You know it, babe," he grinned, winking again.

Astrid shook her head. "Come on, we're all about to head back. Let's go meet them," she suggested. Together they flew off and soon met with the rest of the group.

"Everyone accounted for?" Hiccup asked, glancing around, counting heads.

Astrid stepped over to help, making sure everyone was accounted for an in one piece. "Yep."

They headed back then, quietly talking about their experiences, the twins teasing Snotlout over his harrowing gauntlet against his fearsome bacon foe. Even though Astrid had known they wouldn't find anything, it had still been a very nice day and an excellent opportunity to catch up with Hiccup. Finally those strange feelings of unfamiliarity around him were subsiding and she was feeling like herself again with him.

After they reached the stabled, they split up again and Astrid watched as Fishlegs spoke to Hiccup, assuring him he'd study the dragon eye a bit more for clues. Astrid took her time unloading her pack, taking her axe from Stormfly's saddle and directing her inside. She noticed then that Hiccup had been staring for a bit before turning to head out. "Hey, Hiccup?" she began, pausing his retreat. He turned and regarded her. "Where are you off to?" she asked curiously.

"It's my turn to hunt for lunch. I was going to go collect fish-" Toothless chose then to snort indignantly. "Right bud, I meant it's _our_ turn to hunt," he smiled at his Night Fury, scratching his chin and earning a purr of affection.

Astrid nodded in understanding. "Stormfly and I will join you!" she offered cheerfully. Stormfly nodded her large head, eager to go fish collecting.

Hiccup grinned in approval. "Sounds good! Let's go!" he said, waiting for her to saddle up.

They sped off then, chasing each other through the air, laughing as neither made much effort to beat the other. Toothless and Stormfly smiled at their humans knowingly, knowing very well that they were a mated pair and simply enjoying their time with each other. They bent their wings around each other, circling around to spin so that their humans could reach up and touch each other's hands, gripping tight as they spun and spun. The two dragons shared a mischievous look with each other then. They broke off, diving down into the water below and shocking them. When they surfaced, they chuckled in amusement.

"That's not funny, bud," Hiccup grumbled.

"Really Stormfly?" Astrid shook her head in amusement, sharing a smile with Hiccup.

They dove again, this time with the intent to collect fish, delighting the dragons. They spent a good while, having a blast and making their dragons happy with all the fresh fish they caught.

When they got back to the edge, they were laughing and felt as carefree as always. They flew over their base, calling to everyone that lunch had arrived, then flew back over to the clubhouse and landed. They set their baskets down and walked a ways away, letting Toothless and Stormfly chase each other around the building. Hiccup turned to Astrid and noticed again that she had a lost look in her eyes. He frowned in thought and walked over to her.

Astrid jumped slightly when she felt Hiccup's hand wrap around her wrist gently. She had been engrossed in her thoughts, thinking about how different things were already, wondering if it was meant to be that way or not. It felt right, so maybe it was? She felt his thumb slide over the sensitive skin above her palm and shivered a little. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

In response, Astrid turned her wrist around and took his hand, lacing their fingers and tugging him to her. As soon as he was where she wanted him, she cupped his jaw and stood on her toes, kissing him soundly. Hiccup was startled by the sudden kiss for a second before eagerly returning it. Astrid felt a thrill go through her as it always did when they kissed, but she couldn't let it get too intense, knowing in the back of her mind that the others could be there at any second. They pulled away slowly, taking their time to enjoy the intimate embrace. "I'm okay, Hiccup, don't worry about it," she assured him quietly.

"Astrid..." he murmured against her lips, unconvinced.

Astrid shifted a little uneasily, truly not wanting to hurt his feelings but not knowing how to explain it to him yet. "Hiccup, please. Nothing is wrong, I promise. I will tell you when and if there's a problem... right now I just want to enjoy the day, okay?" she told him, hoping he understood. Thankfully, Hiccup only frowned thoughtfully but said nothing more.

Astrid knew that with how things had been lately, her sour moods, her distance, and the odd start of today, Hiccup had every right to be worried. He was the type that felt with all his heart and when it came to someone he was close to, it pained him almost physically to see them suffering. Still, she was glad he didn't push her further and hoped he wouldn't until she was ready to talk to him.

That night, after dinner, Hiccup walked Astrid to her hut, subtly trying to persuade her to join him for the night, or let him join her, reminding her that it had been a while since they were together. Astrid made sure to keep a bit of distance from him as they walked, knowing he would use his _very_ talented hands to help him persuade her. If she let him touch her, she was doomed.

Astrid knew he was very right though, and honestly she wanted desperately to be with him too, but she still needed to think about how to handle the next few months, when and how she would tell them, and needed the time alone to do it. And so she pretended to be tired, telling him that she was sore from the day's events and maybe next time. Hiccup's handsome face was twisted with badly concealed disappointment, but he let her go anyway.

Astrid tried not to notice the disappointment and hurt she could sense in him, tried not to look back over to him, knowing she would crack if she did. Steeling her nerves, she went on and stepped into her hut. "Good night, Hiccup," she said softly before closing the door. Astrid took a moment to collect herself, physically aching to go back and drag him in with her. No, she really did have a lot to think through. Taking a breath to center herself, she went about her nightly rituals.

A little bit later, Astrid stared off into the moon-soaked sea beyond where she lay in bed, much like she had that morning, wondering how she would handle the events coming up, if it was such a good idea to push Hiccup. Should she "avoid" him again? Did she want to recreate what had happened to her last time? To relive those intense moments close to her heart? Well, honestly, of course she did. Besides, she wouldn't have to make him wait as long as she did last time to be with her... Maybe this could work out? She could play hard to get and get back what she thought she had lost to boot? It could be fun... if it didn't kill them first, of course, since it had already been a while since they were together.

Astrid decided that yes, she could pull this off. It would do them good to spice up their relationship. Astrid only hoped she didn't somehow end up hurting his feelings in the process. He was already lost and confused over her behavior lately, far more than he had been before. Astrid wanted to get back what she lost, experience those moments with him that were precious to her... she certainly didn't want to _lose_ him in the process! Astrid shuddered, brushing away the morbid thoughts.

No, it would be fine. This wasn't the first time she played hard to get. They had done this before, spent time apart and reunited explosively. All she had to do was keep his interest piqued, let him know she was still very much interested, and then... let him have her. Astrid smiled to herself, feeling a thrill of excitement go through her at the thought. Yes, she could definitely handle that.

Well... she hoped she could, anyway.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** We're starting to loop back! Woo! I literally had to stop myself from writing this chapter as soon as I posted 17, until I gave my last one some time to be read haha, otherwise I would have updated it that same day! I couldn't stop myself from updating quickly though, too excited. It's safe to say my fire for this story is back to how it was! Do NOT expect every chapter to be uploaded this quickly though!  
_

 _Hmm, I wonder how different things will be this time around..? Hehe. Ah, all the sexy moments they could have had... and now will lol. Now I'm at the point where I have to re-read my own story to match up events! This will certainly be interesting indeed. Please feel free to give me your insight on this so far! R &R!_

 _Shout-Outs: Please don't ask if she'll tell him, just read the story! I promise I will not leave loose ends._

 _ **kirbster676** : Thank you so much! I really appreciate the input, more than you know. To be honest my original thought for "Thor Help Her" was a glorified PWP, but as I began developing its outline, it took a life of its own and turned into a full fledged story with the adult content integral to the plot. Funny how that works. Yes feel free to make requests! I may or may not be able to implement them, but I will certainly give them thought!_

 _ **asian-simbae** : Oh my God! I had no idea there were _two more _season planned for RTTE (I just looked it up), I thought this last one was the last! I am soooo excited now!_

 _ **Rookie08B** : Thank you! I'm glad to be back. No worries, I don't plan on abandoning HTTYD!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : Well, keep in mind the two stories are linked and I'm also keeping it parallel to the series. They didn't expose their "secret" for each other until the fourth season, after like a week of dating lol._

 _ **Duckcrusader** : Aww, thank you!_

 _ **Aniu16** : That actually made me chuckle! Patience, patience, all in good time... no worries, they'll go at it again soon haha._


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Rain" by Raffertie_ _._

* * *

Since when did her plans _ever_ go smoothly?

It had now been a week since Astrid began her attempt to 'avoid' Hiccup whenever she could, though 'avoid' might have been a strong word for it. It did the job alright, and began to make him confused and steadily more frustrated by the day. Astrid tried to remember how she acted last time, but couldn't recall exactly how she avoided him or how she behaved around him. It was impossible to act that shy with him anymore, not after how often they've exposed their vulnerabilities to each other over the years. Instead of outright staying away from him, this time she chose instead to keep close, but keep him just out of reach, keep him curious and guessing.

Just like before though, Hiccup was just _there_ all the time. He stuck close to her, reminded her that she had him even if she was being evasive. It made her heart swell for him more often than the still stubborn Viking in her admitted, though fortunately she didn't have a problem disregarding that stubborn side of herself anymore. So in turn, she repaid him by showering him with small gestures of affection. She kissed his cheek, squeezed his hand, smiled often, and stuck by his side. She did all this and more to let him know that he had her back and that things were still good between them.

However... everything she did to try to keep him 'happy' without properly kissing him, without spending actual time with him alone, and without the intimacy they both craved, on top of it all, only compounded his exasperation. He was becoming suspicious and curious to why they hadn't truly been spending a lot of time together lately... and she was beginning to find it difficult to make excuses. How could she make excuses easily when all she wanted to do was to lie in bed with him, simply be with him, talk with him, share herself with him..? It went against everything her body was telling her... but she stuck with it, at least for now.

Fortunately, like last time, they would all go out together to explore the vast ocean around their island, checking every island, going on adventures and the occasional misadventure. They searched the archipelago for lenses and for the possibility of other dragons. They even tried to see if they could catch a glimpse of Dagur's location, of Heather, or of that dragon hunter, Ryker... even though they never did. Throughout this, knowing he would try to use every available opportunity with her to coax her to lighten up, Astrid made sure to never be truly alone with Hiccup, no matter how much it pained her. If she was alone with him, even for just five minutes, she knew he would be able to convince her to give up on her _mission_. She couldn't have that yet.

Sometimes though, being alone with him was unavoidable, and each time, Hiccup took every opportunity to try to ruin her plans... and gods, he was good at it. Unlike last time, she was _very_ well aware what he was capable of, and it thrilled her to no end. Fortunately he was still not upset enough to be insistent... not yet anyway. Even so, Astrid knew now that he was around all the time on purpose, knew he was trying to keep her thoughts focused firmly on him, even when they were all together doing something. He was always there, always in close proximity, getting in her head, tormenting her, and all the while getting a kick out of it.

And just like last time, she was becoming so frustrated with him that she nearly wanted to make him squeal in pain for it.

Last time Astrid had refused to have anything to do with her budding feelings. She had refused to acknowledge she even _had_ any for him. This time, Astrid refused to act _on_ her feelings, to give in to them and go to him, be with him, even though every part of her yearned to do so. Last time it was against her nature to act on love. This time it was against her nature not to. Astrid was intimately familiar with what she felt for him now, loved him with a terrifying passion that often scared her, with an intensity of a thousand fiery suns. That alone made this nearly impossible, as her love for him was almost a handicap to her resolve.

And so, Astrid Hofferson spent sleepless nights alone, tossing and turning, trying to keep him out of her head, longing for him enough to have her moaning into her pillow more often than not. She wished the days would go by faster, reach that point in time when she could freely give herself to him. She knew she was doing this to herself, knew that she didn't have to play things out _exactly_ the same way, or at least as close to how she vaguely remembered them. She knew it was a self-inflicted torture... but it irritated her nonetheless. Why did she decide to do this? Why were her plans always so damaging to her sanity? Astrid sighed wearily and once against spent a restless night awake.

Soon though... Astrid would find that Hiccup Haddock would not stay away for long.

One night, after dinner, Astrid made her way over to her hut, alone, as was usual those painful days. She slipped out of the clubhouse while everyone was dispersing and bid her dragon goodnight, seeing her off to her nest. Afterwards, she made her way to her house, gazing out at the moon-bathed compound around her, enjoying the warm night, knowing she wouldn't be able to get a good nights rest again. As she walked, she suddenly sensed a presence walk toward her, and knew who it was without turning. Hiccup stepped up to her side as she walked, keeping pace with her. " Hiccup," she nodded to him. "What can I do for you,?" she asked curiously.

Hiccup smiled softly. "Astrid," he greeted her back. "Mind some company?" he asked in a gently whisper, as though trying not to disturb the night air.

Astrid narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering what he was scheming. "Sure, Hiccup. I'd love some," she agreed anyway, honestly missing him far too much to deny him. Just being near him was a balm to her aching heart, soothed by his warm presence.

As they walked, Hiccup did most of the talking, telling her about how he was finding new ways to forge things out of Gronkle iron, about how he was designing a new armor that honestly did sound intriguing, and then finally about his plans to eventually getting them all equipped well enough to go hunting down the dragon hunters. However, Astrid had hardly been paying attention, more interested in how his fingers ghosted over her hand and wrist, tracing patters with each "innocent" swipe where he strode next to her. Astrid knew he was subtly attempting to persuade her again and sighed inwardly in exasperation. She knew it was only going to get worse, too.

As they reached her hut, Astrid wasn't too surprised when Hiccup chose then to tug her to the side of it, away from possible view. Astrid's hut was the furthest away on that level, so it held a few good spots where no one would be able to see them. Hiccup, feeling more frustrated than usual, frustrated that she seemed to be intentionally avoiding him, and that she continued to deny even the simplest things with him, was obviously a little tired of it. "So were you even listening to me, ...or were you paying attention to my hands instead?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

Astrid blinked in surprise that he had caught her with just that. A little flutter of a now familiar feeling went through her then, and she remembered this evening. Somehow though, it was a lot more intense than before. Hiccup's eyes bore into her with interest, waiting for her to deny his claim or agree that he was getting to her. Astrid wouldn't let him win that easily though. Since he wasn't trapping her, Astrid merely stepped around him and shrugged as she went on her way. "Maybe, maybe not, who knows?" she said mysteriously. "Good night, Hiccup," she sang.

"Wait a second," Hiccup called, stalling her steps, making her keep from leaving right then and there in favor of satisfying her curiosity. She tilted her head a little, letting him know she was listening. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked a little teasingly.

Astrid turned to look at him then and lifted a brow. "To bed, of course," she told him simply, watching him have to take only a few steps to catch up to her, his long legs covering the short distance between them quickly. Astrid's heart began to race as he walked right up to her, stepping into her personal bubble. They were still far enough away from the view of the other huts that this wasn't a problem. All she had to do was round the corner, she could have stepped away, could have kept her distance, but the way he was looking at her almost put her in a spell, all but paralyzing her legs.

Hiccup lifted his hand to her, drawing his knuckles gently down her cheeks, smoothly and softly. Astrid felt herself leaning into his touch, not for the first time feeling drugged. His eyes swam with affection as he very tenderly stroked her cheeks, running his thumb down then, sliding it suggestively over her bottom lip until she parted them instinctively. "Can I have a kiss before you go?" he asked softly, his eyes locked on those rose red lips of hers, lips he so wanted to feel, after going so long without them.

Astrid's eyes fluttered with the pleasure his caress gave her. Despite her self-imposed reservations, she simply could not bring herself to deny the innocent request, wanting to kiss him just as badly. Instead of answering him, she took his hand and tugged him back into the shadows. It was probably because she had been more loving with him lately, even as little as those gestures were, whatever it was Hiccup didn't seem at all like he felt there was something actually bothering her... so this time, he didn't hold back.

Instead, Hiccup Haddock laid it on her heavily, wiping out any thought that he wanted _anything_ innocent right out of Astrid's mind.

Hiccup cupped her cheeks, his mouth diving down to devour hers, tongue playing with her in wicked ways, seduction painfully obviously being the first thing on his agenda. The kiss was enough to force the moan deep in Astrid's throat she had tried to hold back to spill out of her, making him smile against her lips. Astrid felt every fiber of her being tingling in pleasure, feeling her resistances begin to fail her and groaned inwardly, knowing this had been a bad idea! She hadn't properly kissed him lately for just this reason!

Hiccup expertly used his talented hands and mouth to work her into a frenzy, drowning her in pleasure, knowing just how to please her. Astrid didn't know when she had moved, when she had drawn her fingers into his hair, but she found herself locking him firmly against her. She felt her heart in her throat, beating like a tribal drum in her ears, knowing how much promise this kiss whispered seductively through her body.

This wasn't good!

Astrid was hard-pressed to stop him, to deny him, but struggled to do so anyway. She needed this to stop and quick. In the end, she managed to collect a semblance of willpower and gently pushed him back, their lips sliding apart from each other messily. They panted slightly, struggling to recover from the earth-moving, belly quivering lip-lock. "I-I'm... I'm not really feeling up to doing... much more than that right now..." she explained, knowing how lame her excuse was and how absolutely false it was as well. "I'd really like to just relax peacefully tonight, if you don't mind..." she went on.

Hiccup was silent for a good while, making her shift nervously under the intensity of his gaze. He frowned thoughtfully then, tilting his head to the side, making his braid bounce slightly. "In that case, we could just be together, we wouldn't have to do anything if you _really_ aren't feeling up to it?" he offered carefully. "I just want to spend time with you..." he trailed off.

Astrid felt horribly torn. She wanted him with her very much, even if it _was_ just to lay together peacefully, but she knew it wouldn't last that way for long. They were both starting to feel the strain of not sharing themselves with one another, so it would be a dangerous thing to do. No, she couldn't afford to let him sway her to do anything more, not yet! And so, with a heavy heart, she denied him as gently as she could. "I'm sorry, Hiccup. I'd love to spend time with you, but not like that, not tonight. Maybe next time, okay?"

Hiccup was very clearly disappointed, but he didn't fight it. He shifted a little uneasily then. "You seem completely... off this week. I-" he paused, thinking about how to tell her how he felt. "I hope it has nothing to do with... me?" he finally asked, his tone a little lost and subdued.

Astrid's eyes widened, not able to believe he would actually think that. But then, she hadn't made it easy on him these past weeks, not to mention there had always been a little bit of Hiccup that was still a little insecure, hadn't there? Not able to bear the hurt in his eyes, she reached for him and tugged him back to her. She feathered him with tender kisses, trying to ease him. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to make you feel that way!" she assured him. "Of course that's not it," she told him, her hands caressing his cheeks. "I just... I have something I need to think about, okay?" she hesitantly admitted, hoping he wouldn't push for more. He frowned and she knew he had questions about that. "I swear to the gods it is nothing to worry about. It's just a puzzle I'm working through, nothing more. I'll tell you more about it soon, I promise. Please just trust me," she all but begged him.

Hiccup was silent again, absorbing what she had explained. Astrid could see the gears turning in his head and his bottom lip twisted a little in the way it always did when he was about to argue. She cringed inwardly, waiting for him to try to dissuade her from keeping secrets from him, but thankfully he didn't. Instead, he sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright, Astrid. I do trust you," he agreed. "I just hope whatever it is doesn't... affect you too much," he told her, and she knew he was hoping it wouldn't affect _them._

Of course, affect _her_ and _them_ was _exactly_ what it was doing, but for the moment she couldn't reveal that to him. "It... It won't, I promise it's nothing bad, just personal," Astrid explained weakly.

Hiccup nodded in acceptance, at least for now. "One last kiss then?" he asked in a hopeful tone, his eyes unreadable.

Astrid knew very well that his 'last' kisses were hardly ever that, but she would give him this, he deserved it. As soon as she showed she was receptive, Hiccup wasted no time, driving his whole body forward, making her squeak from the force he used, crushing his lips to hers, clearly not settling for a 'good night peck'. It was shockingly electric again, fast, deep, and Astrid felt a deep shudder rush through her, feeling him kissing her with his whole body as he did when he was particularly _hungry_ , pouring his evident need for her into it. However, Hiccup kept to his agreement and stayed a perfect gentleman, pulling away in the end. He wasn't gentle about it though, jarring her with how abruptly he yanked away from the kiss, intentionally setting her off balance with his intensity.

Hiccup's face was still very much unreadable as he bid her a fleeting good night before spinning on his metal leg and walking off without another word, letting her know just how frustrated he was and upset with her secrets. Astrid watched him go with a pang of regret and the warmth of desire pooling between her legs. She knew he had done that on purpose, his way of paying her back for keeping him on edge lately. She let out a shaky breath and firmly stuck to her guns, determined to wait this out. Still, despite her best efforts to not let him get to her, Astrid spent that night tossing, moaning into her pillow in frustration, a hunger for him so strong it was beginning to kill her. All she could think of was his mouth, his hands, his attempts to persuade her. Freyja, this was getting difficult.

As the days went by, Astrid spent most of them away, out with Stormfly, training, establishing trails, at her training grounds, and generally trying to stay away from her boyfriend. She had started this staying by his side, but was starting to discover that being that close to him, sharing little gestures of love with him now and then, was even starting to make it hard on _her_. Staying away wasn't exactly working very well either though. Astrid wasn't sure how much longer she could keep doing this... and she had the sneaking suspicion that Hiccup was well aware of her inner struggles.

Again Hiccup tried to convince her to spend time with him about a week later, having given her enough space in his mind to deal with whatever it was she was keeping from him. Hiccup had a sense that she wasn't actually pushing him away, just keeping him dry, and that more than that secret frustrated him the most. "Why not?" he asked impatiently when she refused spending even innocent time with him again that night.

Astrid smiled weakly, hating having to turn him away all the time. "Next time," she said simply, not knowing what else to say. She had every intention of revealing her secret to him, but first she wanted things as close to how they were before. If his impatience and growing desire for her was any indication, it was working. She just needed to wait a bit longer.

Hiccup grunted in irritation then, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Is this one of those holding out things we do whenever we _fight_?" he drawled in question. Astrid only smiled in response, shrugging mysteriously, mischief clear in her eyes. Hiccup's eyes narrowed then and began to approach her slowly. "I'm warning you, babe, if you keep this up, things will only get bad for you..." he muttered in a low tone, knowing it would excite her.

Astrid fought off a shiver and laughed at the honestly _sexy_ threat. "Oh I am looking forward to it," she winked, then shrieked with laughter when he playfully tried to make a grab at her, escaping from him. "Good night, Hiccup!" her voice rang out from inside her hut, and she could swear she heard him sigh in frustration, making her bite her lip in amusement.

Astrid had no idea _just how_ bad things would get for her.

Another few nights later, about two weeks after starting this little game of hers, Hiccup once again followed her to her hut. He didn't always do this, but it got worse and worse to resist him whenever he did. His continued attempts to persuade her were becoming very hard to deny now.

This time, when he followed her to her hut, tugged her to the side once more, and asked her to join him tonight, he was insistent and it was clear he didn't just want to spend _innocent_ time with her. Hiccup was devilishly good at making her knees feel weak, and knew just what made her quiver. He backed her up against the wall of her hut, sliding his hands onto her waist, leaning forward until he was everything she could see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. His mouth invaded her, robbing her of all her senses, but just when she thought this would be the worst of it, he dislodged his tongue from her throat and his mouth made its way from her lips to her ear.

Astrid shuddered deeply, biting back a moan of need, feeling him pressing against her with just a little more pressure. "H-Hiccup..." she stuttered, trying to focus, gazing unseeingly at the ocean beyond. Despite her best efforts, all her senses were firmly attuned to the man dangerously close to her.

Hiccup had no intention of easing up this time. He leaned closer to her, his lips lightly touching the shell of her left ear as he spoke. "Do you realize how crazy you're making me?" he whispered hoarsely. "Do you know how much effort it takes not to pull your legs around me and take you right here and now, against your hut, for all the world to see?" he questioned, his tone dripping with unabashed lust.

Astrid's eyes fluttered shut, trying with everything she had to not let him get to her. "Th-That would... be a bad idea..." she struggled to say, trying to keep her mind from picturing how he'd push deep into her, pin her wrists to the wall and rock her body against it over and over. Of course, it didn't work a single bit and those images flooded her. Astrid squeezed her eyes shut tighter, trying to push them out of her head, failing miserably.

Hiccup smiled where he rested against her, knowing his efforts were proving rather successful this time. "Mmm, it would," he agreed, playing along, "-but you'd let me, wouldn't you?" He tested her resolve then, moving his hands enticingly over her, one of them down and over to her back, teasingly dipping under her waistband, the other trailing under her breast, his thump very slowly swiping over the side of her breast. He smiled against her neck when he felt her pulse where he began to trail slow, deliberately wet kisses, sliding his tongue along her pulse-point, up to the crest of her ear.

 _Freyja_!

Astrid struggled to keep her cool, struggled to force her body not to react to him, her head swimming with dizzying pleasure. "Hiccup..." she moaned breathlessly, shivering with barely suppressed desire, nearly losing her head to his spectacularly prosperous attempts to persuade her. Gods, he had gotten scary good at this over the years. This, this right here was why her younger self was completely helpless to him.

"It's been so long since we've been together... join me..?" he asked, not for the first time that month, again using that little code between them to ask her to make love with him. Not waiting for her response, he slid his other hand down to join the one under her waistband suggestively, his thumbs rubbing little patterns under her shirt temptingly. Gods in Valhala, this was _not_ what had happened last time. Astrid groaned, half in frustration and half with badly restrained need to drag him off and give him what he wanted. She struggled to do so, but somehow finally managed to gather her wits once more, and used his own desirous distraction to duck under his arms, backing away from him.

Astrid tried to catch her breath as she backed away. "Next time," she said, earning a scowl from him. "There _will_ be a next time, I promise," she assured him, trying to control her breathing.

Hiccup gave her a very painful and frustrated expression, but didn't move, simply watched her. Astrid tried not to notice the obvious bulge in his pants, knowing he had gotten himself worked up by trying to convince her. Gods, he was something else. He didn't pursue her thankfully, but his irritated silence was enough to compel her to retreat quickly. Once she was in her hut, she let out a breath of relief. She settled in and did everything she could to calm down, but unfortunately, her body would not leave her alone that night. Like many nights before it, her highly aroused body forced her to attend to it in hopes of getting even an hour of sleep that night.

Days later, Astrid attempted to gain control over her senses and downright avoided the bane of her existence, choosing to train in the woods most of the time, unaware she had done this same thing before. As she stood in her favorite clearing, surrounded by painted targets, she forced her mind to focus, to concentrate on her targets, feeling more and more frustrated with herself by the second. Every throw of her axe was off, every swing, every chop, and Astrid had _enough_ sense left to her to know that there was nothing wrong with her weapon. What _was_ wrong, was of course her mind, twisted with need, and her stupid, _stupid_ plans.

It didn't help that it was sticky hot day either, it didn't help that the heat was playing with her head, making her feel much more bothered than usual. Now, normally Astrid wasn't like this, didn't have sex on her mind all the time, _especially not_ when she was training... but it had been _far_ too long since she had him, and honestly simply missed him on top of it. Even when they had been playing around like this, they had taken the time to at least spend time alone together. So because of her incessant desire, she had begun to keep a little more distance from him, to stop kissing him so often, just so that she could resist him better.

Not for the first time she started to wonder if this was really a good idea.

Astrid wasn't that clueless, emotionally repressed, and innocent little girl anymore. No, she knew exactly what her body so badly wanted, knew that her heart and soul craved for Hiccup like nothing she had ever felt before, but she forced herself to stay away. Astrid knew it was stupid, but she still forced herself to deny her own needs, still foolishly trying to recapture those precious moments to her. And why shouldn't she? For three years, those experiences had been what helped shape her sexual identity, helped smooth out her feelings for Hiccup, helped mature her, and accept that side of her that she had so bull-headedly denied. She had developed a close bond with that Hiccup... now _this_ Hiccup, and Gods damn it, she wanted to feel the way she had felt before.

Again she tried to focus on her training, but again she was unable to. Like many, _many_ times that week, her mind decided to betray her. Unable to stop herself, she began to fantasize, imagining Hiccup finding her there in the woods. She imagined him disregarding her rejections and trapping her in some way, taking her against a tree, or on the forest floor, in just about every position her wicked mind could conjure up. Astrid physically shook her head, her breath leaving her with a struggle. Stormfly opened an eye where she rested nearby, knowing her human was not in the right state of mind lately.

Astrid's cruel mind developed her fantasies further then. She imagined him taking her on her back right where she stood, rolling his hips into her until she was at the edge of orgasm, at his mercy. She imagined him then pushing her over onto her hands and knees, slipping right back into her and taking her until she exploded wetly all around him, whining into the open air. She imagined him then tugging her up and making her suck him until he came down her throat.

Astrid moaned softly under her breath, her grip on her axe positioned over her head weakening. Her mind took it further then, imagining him throwing her back down onto the grassy floor, spreading her legs wide and working his tongue into her, taking advantage of the wilderness to force guttural screams of ecstasy out of her, as loudly and as many times as he could get her to.

Astrid nearly orgasmed then and there, her knees nearly buckling under the angry, hot need she felt pulsing aggressively between her legs. She panted and groaned in exasperation to herself, overwhelmed by how unjust she had made it for herself, having created this mess all on her own. Oh Thor! And what made it so much worse was how accurate the fantasies were, how much she knew he was capable of doing all those things to her and more. She was starting to lose her mind!

Unbeknownst to her, Astrid had thrown her axe then, not having realized she had even released it.

The axe hurtled through the air at her top speed and struck a tree hard... a tree Stormfly happened to be trying to nap against. The Nadder shot out of the way fortunately, squawking angrily at her, her wings ruffling up in a 'what the fuck are you doing' kind of way.

Astrid gasped when she realized what she had done, hands shooting up to her mouth in disbelief. "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry Stormfly!" she apologized profusely. Stormfly snorted in answer and settled back down, not letting her wary gaze on her relax this time. "I... I um, I guess I really should try to pay a little more attention, huh?" she mentioned weakly, yanking her axe from the poor, abused tree. The dragon grumbled at her, clearly still upset.

Astrid tried to focus again, then blinked when she suddenly had a very strong sense of deja vu, her memories rushing to her of an almost exactly identical situation. She laughed out loud when she realized how similar this was to the first couple weeks in the future way back when. This was after her first real kiss with that Hiccup, receiving one of his soul-binding, heart-pounding kisses that her younger self was completely unprepared for. She remembered now how it was all she had been able to think of, completely shocked that Hiccup of all people could make her feel things she never thought anyone could ever make her feel.

This time though... oh this time, things were _very_ different. Astrid knew her feelings for him, knew what he wanted, and what she wanted too. Her lack of concentration wasn't due to a mere kiss, either... not this time, this time all she could do was think about how much she wanted, no, _needed_ him to fuck her brains out. Plain and simple.

For the hundredth time that day, Astrid tried in vain to concentrate, focus on her training, but just like last time, it was utterly and hopelessly impossible. Astrid sighed in defeat, her eyes shutting, aching for Hiccup so badly that it was becoming ridiculous. This had been _so much easier_ when she had been completely ignorant. Just how on Odin's green Earth was she going to handle much more of this?

Later that night Astrid felt better. She had spent some time dipping into the ocean with Stormfly, trying to cool off and by the end of the day, she had finally started to feel like herself again. That evening, they all had a spirited dinner with the twins going on explaining a plan they had hatched to have a cross-oceanic race with both them and A team competing. "So we would set up check points on each island between Berk and here-" Tuffnut began explaining.

"-Yeah and there would be Terrible Terrors flying back and forth sending updates to each point, giving out the details of the race-" Ruffnut piped in.

"-Then we would take several laps, using obstacles, blood, scars and sheep to measure our progress!" Tuffnut grinned excitedly as he finished for his sister.

"Whoa! That _actually_ sounds fantastic!" Snotlout gushed, loving the high-pace, adrenalin-filled idea.

"I'll admit, it does sound interesting..." Astrid nodded slowly, the competitive spirit in her stirring.

"Not so bad, as far as ideas from _them_ are," Fishlegs nodded.

Hiccup shifted a little, honestly loving the idea as well but... "I hate to be that guy again, but..." he trailed off.

"Aww come on, H!" Tuffnut whined. "Don't ruined this for us!" he begged, crawling on his knees toward him, groveling at his feet.

Hiccup squared his jaw. "Look, as amazing as this actually _really does_ sound, …you know, _aside_ from the bloodshed and bodily harm," he waved his hand dismissively, "-remember that it is _not_ safe for _anyone_ out there right now," he reminded them. "What if Dagur showed up? What if hunters trapped someone while we were speeding around the archipelago?" he told him, watching with only _slight_ satisfaction when they deflated and accepted his words. "Maybe after we've dealt with our new threats we can think of something, alright? But before that, I'm sorry guys, but I'm putting my foot down," he told them firmly.

Fortunately, no one fought him on this. "Aww..." was the unified sound of disappointment from surprisingly everyone there.

They settled down and went back to eating and discussing what they did that day. Astrid tuned them out though, having felt Hiccup's eyes on her all through dinner, and continued to try to ignore it, barely managing to. It was becoming extremely difficult, for whenever no one is watching, like at that moment, his eyes seemed to undress her. She could almost feel his hands on her, his mouth on her, and it made her feel almost drugged, dazed. Glancing at him then, she saw him smirking and knew that he was very much aware of what he's doing to her. She scowled and look away again, determined once more to ignore him.

When dinner was over the rest of the gang disperse but Hiccup and Astrid remained. Hiccup didn't move from his spot thankfully, but he did send her a hopeful, longing look. Astrid merely smiled behind her mug, then to his chagrin, pretended to be very tired, shaking her head at him. Hiccup let out an audible huff and frowned thoughtfully. "Astrid... are you alright?" he asked, surprising her with the question. "You've been _tired_ a _lot_ lately..." he trailed off, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Astrid thought it over, trying to figure out what to tell him. "Well, I mean, there _has_ a been a lot of activity these past few weeks, hasn't there?" she asked lamely.

Hiccup scratched the back of his neck and sighed deeply. "I guess..." he murmured. "But-! That hasn't stopped us before?" he reminded her with a raised brow.

Astrid didn't know what to say to that. "I promise that you won't have to wait much longer?" she said weakly. Hiccup didn't say anything more, simply sat there and watched her slink away with ever increasing frustration.

Astrid laid in bed, not for the first time wondering if she was making a mistake, if this was really a good idea, if anything on her own sanity.

Without the ignorance she had last time, she was afraid that she was just hurting his feelings now, or at least, since he didn't _seem_ particularly hurt, concerned that she was irritating him _more_ than usual. Not to mention how erotic her dreams were becoming, even during the day. Could she really do this? Intentionally keep him away and work him up so much he became too clouded with frustration to think straight? So overcome with need that he pursued her and seduced her?

Astrid shut her eyes and shuddered hotly, honestly feeling extremely aroused by the mere thought. Alright, yeah, maybe she _would_ go with it just a little longer. If he wasn't hurt by it like she had a feeling he wasn't, just unbearably frustrated, maybe she could handle it... maybe.

How much worse could this possibly get, anyway?

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Yes, how bad can things get? Only a matter of time now! Buwahaha! You guys should know me by now to know how much I LOVE tension! Prepare to get your fair share of it!_

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **asian-simbae** : From what I hear, it's TWO movies. I think. I could be wrong, but I think there were two more planned. Still, two more seasons is amazing. Haha no don't worry, I'm too much of a sap to put angst and pain in my story... well, more than I already have? Huh, I guess I'm not that much of a sap! You never know what's up my sleeve! Muahaha!_

 _ **Autumnfire1234** : Thank you so much!_

 _ **kirbster676** : Haha! Yeah, though fortunately Freyja isn't there to handicap Astrid this time! I might have watched "Blindsided" more times than I can count already lol..._

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : I would never break them up, saying that now, I could never bring myself to split them up!_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _" Keep The Streets Empty For Me" by Fever Fay._

* * *

How much worse could it get?

Astrid Hofferson was about to find out.

Astrid sighed deeply to herself as she trudged through the forest paths around Dragon's Edge, feeling helpless, not for the first time wondering why she had to tempt fate all the time. She had to ask, didn't she? If the gods weren't messing with her by now, she didn't know what was. Nope, Astrid had done this all on her own, hadn't she? She couldn't blame the gods this time.

Another long week had gone by since Astrid's _very stupid_ attempts to continue to 'avoid' Hiccup. This time she was starting to well and truly regret it, not because she missed him or because of how impossible he was becoming, but because she knew it was unfair to him. Astrid was aware that he was strong enough to handle it, but it still didn't stop her from feeling guilty. She knew she could just end it now, but then she also knew well that it only had to go on for just a little bit longer.

It was all extremely selfish of her, she knew this.

Astrid had a reason though, reason enough for her to sit this through a little longer. She had spent three years building her relationship with him, and in that time she had felt like a part of herself was trying to synchronize itself, as though she had left a part of herself in the future. Freyja had said that she would return to it, reclaim what she was dragged away from. Maybe that was why she had been acting so unlike herself, her body's coping mechanism, to try to recover that missing part of herself.

Astrid sighed again, wondering how long she would have to make him suffer, wondering if she even had the willpower at this point to stop this urge in herself anymore. It wasn't Freyja this time, but it still felt like a deep, inescapable tugging, pushing her to make extremely stupid decisions.

Things were becoming unbearable for both of them, that was for sure. It was bad enough that he was becoming impossible to deal with now, but her own growing desires were starting to cloud her own judgment. It was also becoming impossible to fully avoid him by now, since he was beginning to suspect her and would take every opportunity to foil her plans.

During that week, she watched him become more and more impatient and irritated each day. She knew that he would snap, probably a lot sooner than later this time. Hiccup could go from being the most fun person to go adventuring with, with his enthusiasm and bright outlook, his goofy personality and his caring heart... but then if she pushed him too far, he, like every Viking, had a more intense side to him you didn't want to see. In her case though, that intensity had _been_ what she wanted to see... just not this level of it? Maybe? Ah... who was she kidding? This had been exactly what she had wanted.

Unlike last time, Hiccup knew that there wasn't _really_ anything 'wrong' with her, at least, she had assured him countless times that there wasn't. She wasn't spooked, she wasn't in denial, and she absolutely knew what she was to Hiccup.. so with that assurance, her boyfriend was simply becoming unbearably to deal with, for _everyone_. Like he did when she kept him _dry_ for too long, he was starting to dish out chores, give snappy responses, and lose patience with Snotlout or the Twins much more quickly. Unfortunately, at this point she was committed to her plans, so she couldn't really do anything about it?

That didn't stop her from trying though.

It was probably a mistake... in fact, she knew it was, but she had started giving him actual hugs and kisses again, to avoid him blowing up with his frustrations on others and keep him from feeling too neglected. Honestly though, she also did it because she couldn't stop herself, she missed him more than she thought she would. She missed his touch and honestly wanted to assure him that she still wanted him.

Part of her though... also did it to keep him on his toes. That part of her was her more playful side than anything else. However, it was all starting to backfire on her vengefully. Hiccup was holding her to him longer each time she let him 'catch' her, taking more time to kiss her and kissed her much more thoroughly. Then it took him far more convincing to let her go. If that wasn't bad enough he was starting to use tactics he knew would whittle her nerves down.

Astrid knew she was walking on very thin ice now.

That morning, Astrid spent it like she did most, doing morning drills with Stormfly. This time it was ground tactics again, running through the forest at top speed and attacking targets she had set up. Stormfly never really liked these that much, feeling herself boxed in more times than not, but Astrid still felt like it honed her dragon's reflexes, having to dodge trees every couple of steps.

However, just like it had been that month, Astrid was simply unable to focus enough to hit any of her targets as she went through it. After several rounds and a very irritated dragon later, Astrid sighed in defeat and realized she wouldn't be able to concentrate enough to complete the drills.

Instead, she and Stormfly chose to do some flying. Things seemed well enough, until her loss of focus nearly made her lose her head to a low-hanging sea-stack. Stormfly snorted impatiently then, sensing that her human was fighting natural instincts to bond with her mate, so she decided to help her get her head on straight.

Astrid shrieked in surprise when the dragon dipped down, crashing into the cool waters below. Normally Astrid didn't mind a dip or two, but she had been so engrossed in her thoughts that the sudden change was like a slap to the face... though it was probably meant to be exactly that.

Stormfly did this a couple of times, trying to cool her off or at least knock some sense into her, until her human sputtered and not so nicely shouted at her to knock it off. Stormfly huffed in laughter. Astrid blushed, knowing that her dragon could sense her distracting arousal and was trying to cool her off. Gods, this was getting very insane.

That afternoon, Astrid finally felt a little calmer, thankful to her girl for helping her. She brushed her down, scratching her chin in appreciation. Stormfly pressed her snout against her, trilling in question. Astrid sighed, knowing her beloved dragon was just trying to help. "I'm alright, Stormfly, don't worry girl," she reassured her. "I'm just being a complete idiot and avoiding my mate," she told her, earning a snort of agreement from her.

Astrid sighed then. "What can I do though? I want him... I want to _be_ with him, _so badly_... but, I also want to get back what I thought I lost..?" she explained, trailing off lamely. Stomfly tilted her head in confusion, not really understanding her very well. "This is my chance to recover something precious to me... I don't know what it is, but I feel like this is something important I have to do." she went on.

Astrid frowned to herself, feeling like that wasn't everything, it felt like so much more than that. It almost felt like she was tied to certain coming events and was being guided toward them without being able to stop herself.

"Gods, how can I even begin to explain it to him if I can't even explain it to myself?" she groaned and sighed wearily. "This is about so much more than intimacy, but in his eyes, he probably thinks I don't want him. Why am I doing this?" she whimpered forlornly, confused by her own actions.

Stormfly hadn't the slightest idea what she was talking about, but at least she was talking. The dragon knew that it helped her human to open up, so she patiently stood there, enjoying the attention while she simply listened. Every now and then when Astrid's eyes glazed over, her hand stilling, she nudged her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

When they were done then, Astrid saw her off to her nest for her afternoon nap. Once her dragon had settled down, almost immediately letting sleep carry her off, Astrid went back to clean up. She grabbed the wash bucket and brush, then carried them to the tool rack. She took a broom and swept grime off the floor.

All the while she did this, she concentrated on each task far more than was necessary, if only to keep her thoughts from wandering. If she let herself get away with her thoughts, she'd never get anything done. When she was done sweeping, she went to put the broom away... and was so concentrated with her task that she failed to hear the unmistakable clink of a metal prosthetic foot inching its way toward her.

The only thing that kept her shriek of panic from waking everyone in Dragon's Edge was the same hand that covered her mouth that had freaked her out in the first place. "Relax!" Hiccup's voice whispered quickly, anticipating her painful retaliation. He had wanted to surprise her, not make her violent! Though he should have known better.

Astrid felt herself relax instantly, relieved that it wasn't some would-be dead man. It was just Hiccup, her impossibly horny and impatient boyfriend..? She felt him walk them some ways off, his hands still pinning her against him. Astrid blinked in confusion, but then felt him press her against a far off wall, her back still to him with him settling himself behind her... and suddenly her relief turned into alarm.

 _What_ was he _doing_?

As soon as he removed his hand from her mouth, no doubt assured she wouldn't attack him, she attempted to do _just_ that in hopes of getting out of this situation. If she knew him, and she most certainly did, he would attempt to _persuade_ her to give in to him again, and she knew he wasn't about to let her just walk away this time. Astrid struggled a little in her position and tried to elbow him, trying not to think of how little effort she was putting into this.

Astrid groaned inwardly, knowing very well that she wanted to stop his suffering, but she also felt an impulse to try to stop him. Gods but did she miss him! Astrid wanted nothing more than for him to hold her, but a part of her continued to fight it and Astrid didn't know how to stop it. So, being completely torn, she was in a state of trying to fight him off and at the same time, giving in.

Again Hiccup proved he was stronger than he looked and pressed her himself tightly against her for a moment, immobilizing her limbs against the wall. "Hiccup! What are you doing? L-Let... let go..!" she ordered weakly, wiggling a little, trying to hide how impossibly aroused this was making her. Feeling his body covering hers, feeling his heat, the pressure of his armor against her back, it was making her tingle all over. Weeks of dealing with her own unbelievably intense need for him was not making this easy on her, either. She was _so_ close to giving in to him at this point that she knew if he tried anything now she very well _could_ break.

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully, hearing the very badly concealed desire in her voice, feeling how weakly she was fighting him. "I miss you..." he mumbled against her. "Astrid... will you join me?" he implored her for the thousandth time that month. His tone was calm and his intentions were obvious. He left absolutely no room in her mind to question what he wanted with her. His mouth was by her ear again, hot breath tickling her, laying a very gentle kiss just below her ear.

Astrid shuddered again, her eyes closing for a second and foolishly tried with all her might to resist him once again, trying to ignore how her blood pulsed through her veins with wanton lust for him, even as a part of her raged at keeping him at bay.

Astrid was so very tired of avoiding him, but a part of her could almost sense her goal day in reach. Astrid tried to reject it, to try to give in to Hiccup, but it was almost like the opposite was happening this time, not allowing her to simply be with him. She wondered suddenly if by then he would even want to be with her? Shaking her head inwardly she knew she didn't have to worry about that. "An-Another time, Hiccup..." she told him, laying against the wall limply, rebelling against her own words.

Hiccup felt a little confused by the mixed signals and moaned in frustration behind her. Astrid felt herself shiver heatedly at the sound. "You've been saying that for several weeks already!" he whined, letting his lips rest on the bend between her neck and shoulder. "Is there a reason or should I be worried?" he asked softly.

Astrid didn't know how to respond to him without giving away too much of her vision, but she had to tell him something! "No! Of course not! I'm so sorry you think that, Hiccup. It's nothing to be worried about, I promise," she said just as softly.

Hiccup breathed an audible sigh of relief, his hold on her relaxing just slightly. "Good," he murmured.

Astrid bit her lip, wondering if she could get him to release her now. "Will you let me go? I'm... I uh," she cleared her throat and cursed herself for stuttering, blushing deeply. "I'm not... in the _mood_..." she told him lamely, snorting inwardly at that. Her intensely erotic daydreams and how many times a night she had to relieve herself begged to differ.

Unfortunately, this only served to frustrate him more, since he knew that her excuse was complete bullshit. Hiccup had seen the way she had been looking at him lately, could tell with every touch she gave him that she wanted more, he knew her, recognized the badly concealed longing in her and knew she had been holding herself back for whatever reason. "You're lying," he said simply and confidently.

Astrid struggled internally with herself, scolding herself for not keeping her voice sturdy and her resolve locked down tighter. "How would you know..?" she gritted out, trying again to pull away from him weakly.

Hiccup noticed her still trying to figure out a way to get away and frowned suspiciously when she hardly used any effort whatsoever to do so. "Alright then, in that case why not let me prove it? Just give me five minutes and if you _really_ aren't in the mood, tell me clearly and I'll stop," he offered, sliding his hand around her and over her belly intently. "Convince me," he grinned playfully.

Astrid's eyes widened, knowing what he was intending to do. She also knew that it would be nearly impossible to _convince_ him if he did it. "N-No! No! Don't!" she all but begged in a panic, feeling his extremely talented hand very slowly inching its way down. Her knees were already a little shaky, if he did what he was intending to do... Freyja, she was afraid she might not have the strength or willpower to stop him... and gods did she not want him to! It was so confusing!

Hiccup was surprised, could hear the desperation in her voice and almost pulled away... but he also noticed again that she still hadn't actually forced him off her yet, hadn't even struggled against his light hold again. Hiccup never put his whole weight on her, even as light as he was for a guy, so this was extremely suspicious. Even if he _was_ trying to keep her there, he knew in the position that they were in she still had the advantage of leverage and could easily trip him, and toss him on his ass before he knew what had happened.

The fact that she hadn't yet led him to believe she didn't _really_ want him to stop.

Reassured by his reasoning, Hiccup began to use the tactics he knew worked well on her. He began to touch her lightly, brush over her thighs, just enough to tease her, moan in her ear, and slowly rubbed himself a little against her. "Don't..?" his brow rose. "If you weren't in the mood you wouldn't be asking me not to prove it with so much desperation... and you would have been more convincing about it too."

Astrid scoffed inwardly, knowing he had her there. She knew she should be throwing him off her by now but... a strong part of her very honestly didn't want to. Astrid panted slightly, but held still anyway, contradicting her own protests, moaning with her own frustration. Thor in Valhala, she wanted him so badly, but also wanted to wait as well, feeling completely torn by it. This was driving her insane!

Hiccup's hand slipped over her, pressed between her legs, under her skirt, and rubbed her a little through her bindings, making her squirm and whimper. Astrid could feel the heat rolling off his hand, almost burning her where he pressed. "Astrid, I know you've been deliberately messing with me," he mumbled, leaning in closer, blowing on her ear to stimulate her further.

"No... No I haven't..." she denied pathetically, guiltily, looking away, trying to keep her wits about her, feeling her heart racing almost painfully. Gods, why wasn't she pushing him off her? She knew the answer to that of course, could feel the desire hot between her legs, making it difficult to think straight. She knew she wanted this to end just as badly as he did, but couldn't figure out a way to bring herself to do so at this point.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "I _know_ you, babe. I know you want this, you've _been_ wanting this. Otherwise you'd have done something to stop me by now..." he whispered seductively, knowing just what his words could do to her.

Astrid struggled to stay calm, not surprised for a second that he would know her so well. "I... I don't, it's your imagination..." she bit out, straining to keep a level voice. Why did he have to be so gods damn stubborn? So infuriatingly persistent? Ah, but wasn't she the one who practically threatened him to just _take her_ when he wanted her in the past? If anything, all of this was her fault, all of it! She was the instrument of her own frustrations.

Hiccup tilted his head, hearing how much she was struggling to convince him. "That's simply not true," he scoffed lightly at the obvious lies and began to rub her methodically, back and forth. "What's the harm in letting me prove it? Astrid, you've never turned me down like this before... not unless it was on _purpose_ ," he murmured.

Astrid winced at the confused and slightly hurt tone in his voice. She knew she couldn't tell him she wanted to wait like she had in the past because he'd get nosy. She wasn't ready to tell him everything about her vision, not yet, so all she could do was remain silent and try her best to figure out a way out of this. She wanted nothing more than to give in to him, but she didn't even know if making that little change would completely throw off the future she knew. So... she decided to play it safe, even if it was unfair to everyone involved.

However, she didn't want him to stay feeling hurt, either. "You're right, I admit it. This is very similar to those times... but... but... it's also different..." she admitted, chewing on her lip, not knowing how else to explain it to him.

Hiccup's hand stilled then and Astrid let out a breath of relief. He was silent for a moment and Astrid knew he was puzzling through what she said before, about it being different. She wasn't lying then, it _was_ different than their usual hold out games. "Astrid, are you acting this way because... this wouldn't have anything to do with..?" he trailed off, unsure how to ask her about it.

"It... it does..." Astrid admitted, knowing he was wondering about her vision.

"Astrid..." he sighed softly. "I wish you would open up to me more."

"I will! I will, I swear to you I will," she promised him.

Hiccup was silent again for a moment, then he nodded. "I trust you," he said, accepting her words. "If that's what it is though, then what harm would it be having a little fun?" he questioned, resuming his rubbing.

"I- I uh I told you, I'm not... in the mood..?" she forced out.

Hiccup groaned again. "Astrid, you are the most stubborn Viking I've ever met!"

Astrid smiled weakly. "Thanks..!"

Hiccup growled. "Not really a compliment," he grunted. "If you're not in the mood, then you won't mind proving it to me?" he grinned again, having no intention of letting her go so easily.

Astrid groaned in exasperation. Grasping at straws, she tried to reason with him, thinking up a quick excuse, hoping he wouldn't use that magnificent brain of his to see past her. "Just because I'm not... in the mood... doesn't mean I wouldn't _react_ to you when you touch me... so the little test isn't very accurate..." Astrid fought to explain, trying to ignore his tortuous, teasing touch.

Hiccup hummed thoughtfully, nodding against her, accepting that bit of logic. "That's certainly true," he agreed, "-but it still doesn't explain why you're _letting_ me seduce you..." he pointed out accurately and smiled knowingly.

Astrid sighed in defeat, knowing he had caught her. She shivered hotly then when he pressed into her leggings with more pressure, until he was able to push right into her folds, made easier with how wet she was already. Astrid bit her lip to keep her sounds of approval at bay as he began rubbing her enough to make her lose all concentration.

Astrid felt her body betray her, giving in to his deadly efficient ministrations and was unable to stop herself this time from whining with desire, resting against the wall, throbbing hotly as he stroked her slit through her leggings. _Freyja_ , he was almost impossible to resist! Astrid knew well what keeping him away for so long could do to him. She knew well how far he was willing to go to get her to break and give in to him. Over their year of being sexually active, Hiccup learned just where and how to touch her, just what to say, just how to move against her, and he was employing everything he had learned on her now.

When he set his mind to something, Hiccup Haddock most often got what he wanted... and that very much included her. After their very first time, his sex drive had kicked into high gear and hadn't slowed down at all. Hiccup might stutter and act goofy and adorable with their friends and others, behaving like the Hiccup she grew up with, occasionally awkward, always sarcastic, and very intelligent. When they were together though... it was almost like he shed off all the awkwardness and became the Freyr to her Freyja.

Becoming impatient that she wasn't letting herself enjoy this, Hiccup slipped his hand under her binding then, pressing harder into her, his legs on either side of hers, trapping her. One of his hands grabbed and pinned both of her wrists above her head, while the other began to continuously stroke her clit. Astrid couldn't stop the drugged mewling from escaping her throat, momentarily becoming slack in his hold, enslaved by the pleasure he was siphoning out of her.

Hiccup sighed in pleasure, feeling the results of his ministrations as hot arousal began to coat his fingers. "I can feel how _wet_ you are... that's _not_ my imagination," he whispered against her ear, wiggling a finger into her to prove his point. "I don't understand why you're not just enjoying it?" he murmured.

His words were as intoxicating as ever, his fingers a righteous murder to her senses, blocking out her thoughts, making her feel her resistances begin to fall apart. Weeks of preparing for her goal was about to fly right out of the window.

Astrid whined hoarsely, both in protest and in desire, shuddering deeply as waves of pleasure crashed through her, hitting her like a burning tsunami, splashing over his unforgiving fingers wetly. " _Huuh_... _uuh..._ s-sto-... stop..." she struggled to get out, sharp tendrils of pleasure flooding her with each deliberate swirl of his fingers. "Sto... s-sto... Hic-... H- _ohhh-gods_..!" she cried out as the dam inside her began to spill over.

Astrid didn't sound convincing to him at all, quivering and panting, unable to get herself to push him away. Hiccup continued on, smiling in satisfaction when she seemed to be finally starting to relax. He wrapped his arm securely around her, his hand stroking and wiggling into her while the other made sure she couldn't push him away. "Astrid, I know you want this as much as I do. It's been _too long_ , for both of us, so please don't fight it," he pressed the tip of his finger over her clit and this time held position, getting ready to push her over the edge.

Astrid protested and struggled a little harder this time, knowing what he was about to do. "No- _ooh_... _noo_... I d-don't... I _don't_ want... _hnng_..!" her weak protest was cut off then as he began to rapid-fire flick her clit ceaselessly, and despite her insistence that she wasn't in the mood, she gushed over his fingers from her quivering sex, her world falling apart around her.

Unable to help herself, she shrieked through gritted teeth. " _Hiccup_..! _Hiccup_..!" was her shrill cry as her walls spasmed shut, her orgasm making her clench around his fingers hard, trapping them there. Her trapped hands grasped desperately at the wall, her breath leaving her in quick gasps. This was getting out of control!

Hiccup moaned with barely contained self-control. "That's it, just let go..." he mumbled lustfully.

Astrid shook against the wall, hardened nipples rubbing against it, making her pleasure so much more intense, compelling her to spread her legs wider, contradicting her own complaints. Even as she denied it to him, she had been craving him so very badly and somehow he knew it. He knew it and he was taking advantage of it. "Hiccup..." she panted, shaking hard against him. "G-Get off me..." she said weakly, struggling to recover. Again though, she made no move to actually push him off her, making her groan inwardly in frustration at herself.

Hiccup chuckled against her ear, noticing that as well, smiling when he felt her resistances began to slip. "Are you _sure_ you _don't_ want it?" he asked teasingly. "I think you do. That's why you're _moaning_ so much, that's why you're so _soaked_ and throbbing so _hot_ and _wet_ with need. You're so aroused you barely know what to do with yourself, am I wrong..?" he moaned in her ear, knowing just what to say to rile her up.

Astrid panted breathlessly, trying to not let him get to her, but he wouldn't make it easy on her. "N-No... you're not wrong..." she whimpered, admitting it to him.

Hiccup grinned triumphantly and began to gently squeeze down on her bundle of nerves again, her tenderized clit thudding in time with her wildly beating heart. " _Hiccup_... _Hicc-uhh-up_..!" she cried gaspingly, whining against the wall as even as she was still on the peak of her orgasm, her body flushed with renewed pleasure, knowing he was deliberately keeping her aroused. She didn't know what she wanted to tell him at that point, beg him to stop, or beg him to relieve her.

Hiccup merely smiled infuriatingly again and kept at it, sliding his fingers along her, back and forth, teasing her clit but stopping just before she felt relief.

Astrid could very easily knock him on his ass, but a part of her really didn't want him to stop, really didn't want to break the tormentingly erotic atmosphere between them, the boiling tension about to explode. What made it all the worse... or better, was that she knew how much _he_ knew how easily she could kick his ass, but he still did it. He had guts, she'd give him that.

Hiccup hummed in pleasure when she caved a little more, feeling her unconsciously grindings her ass against him as he worked his fingers over her tender little nub, dipping inside her now and then. Astrid moaned low and long, panting with the effort to not be too loud, her eyes clenched tight as he again brought her to the precipice, to the height of her urgency. "Tell me you want this..." he requested gently, trying not to be too demanding but very quickly losing patience with his incredibly stubborn girlfriend.

The shield-maiden couldn't stop the plaintive cry from escaping her again, but she was still unwilling to let him win. "No- _ooh_... _noo_..!" she twisted against the wall, pleasure and frustration driving her insane.

Hiccup grunted in irritation and held her back down, keeping her shaking legs apart and continued keeping her from being able to feel the relief she so very badly needed. "Astrid..." he sighed with obviously increasing impatience with her. "You're only making this hard on _both_ of us!"

Astrid panted harshly. "S-Screw you, Haddock!" she groaned out, this time feeling it was more of a matter of pride to resist him. She was still very much a stubborn Viking, after all.

Hiccup frowned a little, hearing her lash out pridefully, hearing her truly becoming a little upset with him now... but still she did nothing to stop him? Assured by that, he smirked then. "Well, that's my intention!" he chuckled, earning a growl from her.

Astrid refused to tell him what he wanted to hear, refused to give in... unfortunately, words slipped out of her before she could stop them anyway. "Oh _gods_..! Hiccup _please_..." she cried when she felt herself _so_ close to the edge but not quite there, unable to stop herself from begging, swallowing thickly and biting her lip, trying to ignore the pleasure that ebbed away.

Hiccup raised a brow again. "Please what?" he asked in mocking curiosity. "Tell me..."

Astrid opened her mouth to do just that, then shook her head, feeling that stubborn part of herself tell her she couldn't let him win that easily. "N-No..!" she bit out stubbornly, teeth clenched, sweat trickling down her brow, the pleasure a torment and a dizzying rapture.

Hiccup huffed in irritation. "Okay then," he growled and held her still until he was sure her pleasure had once again dulled away enough. He then continued to stroke her until she spurted wetly over him all over again. Astrid cried out in anguished ecstasy, no longer able to hold herself up, her fingers curling over the wall, hating and loving the repeated torture, a big part of her not wanting him to stop.

Hiccup sighed in disappointment when she was _still_ being so obstinate. He hiked her skirt up higher then, tilted her back a little, pushing her down a bit against the wall so she was almost bent over, completely exposing herself to him. He pushed her hips down, almost sitting her right on his lap, then pulled her leggings down just enough. Hiccup retrieved his hand from around her to open his own pants just enough to free his bulge a little in an effort to make this easier.

Astrid knew exactly what he was planning to do and shrieked at him. "H-Hiccup! N-No!" but he ignored her and began thrusting, grinding his bulge right into her with enough force to nearly lift her feet off the ground, the thin material between them leaving very little to the imagination. With his free hand, he placed it on her hips and rolled her ass back against him each time his hips rushed up, making her feel how much he wanted her, making her feel his erection, rigid enough to push between her legs, pushing right up against her aching center.

His efforts proved to be devastating. Astrid threw her head back with a snap, her mouth hanging open in a soundless scream as sensations shot through her without mercy, her silent howl only breaking to cry out his name. "Hiccu-uup!" she yowled out, unable to do anything to stop the vicious orgasm from slamming her body shut. Astrid clenched her inner muscles tightly, desperately trying to feel the finish properly, but not quite getting it again. Every thrust compounded the aggressive, voracious urgency inside her.

Hiccup held her still for a moment again, panting a little with the effort to stop himself. He deliberately let her slowly wane off her orgasm and calm down enough, making her groan in frustration. He then repeated the process, thrusting again, pressing her harder against the wall while his devilish fingers reached back around and dug between her drenched folds.

Hiccup leaned in again to whisper in her ear, even as he continued thrusting hungrily against her. " _Tell me_ what I _want to hear_ , milady..." he demanded, using his 'chiefly' tone, flicking her clit again in rapid succession in time with his pistoning hips, making her jerk with each intense swipe, every swath becoming easier the wetter he got her, rapidly bringing her to the edge of another orgasm, and once again holding back. "Tell me, my lady, and I will give you relief..." he promised in a strained voice, grunting with each movement he made.

Astrid writhed against the wall, unsure how much more of this she could take. She moaned in lust and whined in defeat. She couldn't... couldn't resist his probing, she tried very hard though, but it was almost a wasted effort. He was simply too skilled at seducing her and she was too tired of making him suffer. "Gods! _Fine_! _Okay_! Y-Yes! _Yes..!_ _Hic-aah_..!" she arched back when his finger continued to wriggle over her dripping center, causing her to fall apart a little, her inner muscles quivering hotly. "I-I _want_ you... _I want you_! _Please just_..!" she bit her lip hard, at the last minute trying to keep herself from actually begging him to fuck her.

Unfortunately, Hiccup didn't seem hindered by her attempt to stop her pleading though, and took it as permission. He gasped at her desperately lustful response, having to stop if only to collect himself, throbbing so hard it was murder on him, feeling too tight in his covering and almost ejaculating right then. The lilting need in her tone was music to his ears. " _Uu_ _hh_..!" he moaned excitedly, shuddering with deep desire. "Astrid... _Astrid_... Gods _yes_..!" he groaned urgently. He flicked her a little more, making her whimper and shake against him, trying to further stimulate her, get her hot and flustered enough to keep her thoroughly craving him, to keep her from changing her mind.

Astrid knew she couldn't let him do this, at least not here and now, they were in great danger of being caught. Needing to get him to hurry up and release her, Astrid began to beg him further, trying to entice him. "Hi-Hiccup... _Hiccup_... please... I _need_ you..!" she cried, not having much difficulty begging him by now as she quivered so hard and intensely against the wall, her body completely helpless to him.

Hiccup moaned lustfully in her ear, making pleasure spike through her belly again. He pulled his hand from her wrists then, assured that he had won and very eager to sate both their long awaited desires.

Astrid knew this was the moment she was waiting for but... she also felt a moment of indecision, wanting him so badly it was killing her, wanting to stay and give in to him, feel him hot and throbbing between her folds, let him have his way, let him ride her to screaming completion... but gods, she couldn't yet, this was definitely not the time and place for that sort of thing! If anything, her screaming would definitely wake the dragons, and that would just be too embarrassing.

With a heavy heart and great difficulty, the axe-wielder waited for him to get distracted fumbling with his pants and cover, heart racing so hard it almost hurt, lungs laboring for breath, trying to convince herself to do what she needed to do, even though she really didn't want to do it!

Astrid held her breath and waited for the right moment. She knew he would _hate_ this, she knew how much he ached for her, but she wanted this done right though, not in the stables in the middle of the day! So she waited... then as soon as he pulled away a little to wrench his pants down, she made her move.

Astrid whipped under him so fast it nearly knocked him off balance. She finally managed to escape him before he had a chance to spoil her plans and ravage her then and there. Hiccup gasped in shock at her sudden movement, nearly toppling over. "Astrid! What-! Where are you going?!" he demanded, swiping for her.

Astrid ducked out of his arms, twisting around when he tried to grab at her. Fortunately his pants around his ankle and prosthetic made it easy for her to escape his clumsy attempts to catch her. However, Hiccup might have been light for his height and easy for her to toss around with as much physical training as she got, but he was still a force to reckon with and still quite fast despite his fake foot, so this was harder than she thought it would be, especially when she had to pull her own leggings back up. Astrid was unable to stop herself from squealing in both anxiety and excitement when he almost caught her then.

Finally though, she managed to get a good distance from him before he had a chance to pull his pants back up. Astrid nearly tripped over herself running out of the stables, ignoring the startled looks from the dragons, being woken up with all the commotions of trying to escape. "I want you, but not in the stables!" she called to him as she jogged out, hoping he would come to his senses. Did he _want_ to get caught fucking in plain public view?

Unfortunately for her, Hiccup's head was not on straight and he was _far_ from forgiving at the moment. "Astrid!" he shouted out her name and Astrid bit her lip, hearing how incredibly frustrated and upset he was. " _Astrid_!" he barked, his voice alarmingly close now.

Astrid could hear him struggling to get himself in order, but she also now heard the rapid and unmistakable sound of a boot, followed by metal, right at her heels. Good lords he was fast! Oh Thor, she was in trouble now! "I'm sorry!" she squealed, apologizing as she fled, trying to get far enough to escape him. "I'm sorry!" she begged, but he wasn't listening this time. "I swear to Odin I didn't meant to upset you this much!" she screeched out, but he didn't respond, just continued chasing her with a single-minded drive.

Astrid knew well how much of a bitch she was being, and felt very guilty for doing this to him, but she couldn't let him catch her now! Gods, she didn't even know if he even had a single thought in his head except to fuck her at that moment. If he caught her, he would probably try to seduce her out in the open! Of course, she was probably exaggerating this particular concern... he wasn't an idiot, after all. Even so, she didn't want to risk it!

For the moment, Astrid's whole world was focused solely on keeping as much of a distance from him as she could, but he had long legs and a light figure and was barreling toward her like an ornery yak bull. An ornary yak bull during mating season, to be exact. Astrid felt her heart in her throat as she climbed up ladders as quickly as she could. She could almost feel his body heat by now with how alarmingly close he was. Seeing her possible salvation in sight, Astrid made a desperate dash for it. She ran into the clubhouse at full speed, hearing him just on top of her now, praying to the gods that someone was in there.

Fortune smiled upon her, finding Fishlegs there!

Astrid quite literally ran over to him and slid behind him, confusing him as she, Astrid Hofferson, out of every one of them, used _him_ as a human shield. Just seconds later a very irate Hiccup showed up, brows knitted, breath heavy, and body tense. "Hey uh, w-what's going in?" Fishlegs asked curiously, his eyes flicking from the clearly uneasy woman behind him to his _very pissed off_ looking leader by the doors. Hiccup very rarely looked that angry, so it was honestly a little scary for the softhearted young man.

Astrid thought quickly. She had to get away from him somehow, keep him at bay... at least until he cooled off, but how? "I- I uh, it's- I'm volunteering to go with you to gather roots!" she explained nervously. "The stores need more vegetables, right? I'll go with you!" she announced, keeping herself behind Fishlegs and away from Hiccup at all times. What was it about him that sometimes, even though he was slim and not the tallest Viking ever, could still manage to somehow look so imposing?

Hiccup hadn't approached more than a few feet, but his scarily quiet presence was somehow worse than if he was actively saying or trying to do something. When Hiccup got angry, he usually had two modes... to explode in rage, or to let his frustration boil silently within him... and _then_ explode. It was probably a Haddock trait.

Hiccup's eyes were focused piercingly on her as he spoke in a deadly serious tone. "I suggest you let Fishlegs go on his own, Astrid," he said slowly. "He likes his quality time with Meatlug, it wouldn't be very nice of you to bother him... you should stay and _talk_ with me. I have something I need to _discuss_ with you..." he suggested, his tone almost a warning.

Astrid quivered, knowing if Fishlegs left, Hiccup would be on her in a second and this time she wasn't sure she could handle his attempts to seduce her, knowing he would show her no mercy. He would take her and he probably didn't notice how public this location was.

Fishlegs blinked in both shock and discomfort at how upset Hiccup sounded. "Um, she wouldn't be bothering me, Hiccup..." he mentioned carefully, then flinched. "B-But... I guess whatever you need to talk about does sound important?" he mumbled at the sharp look his normally cheerful and easy-going friend gave him.

Astrid felt panic swell inside her. "N-No! Wait Fishlegs!" she gasped, stopping him from moving, kicking herself from actually sounding desperate. "Uh- no, um, really Fishlegs! I need the floral experience, and besides, how often is it that we get a chance to h-hang out? This could be a very valuable team-building exercise!" she suggested as cheerfully as she could. "I know _very well_ what Hiccup wants to _talk_ to me about and I promise _it can wait_... _Right_ , Hiccup?" she forcefully asked with a raised brow, challenging him to expose his true intentions. Hiccup bit back a growl of frustration and narrowed his eyes, but fortunately said nothing to contradict her.

Fishlegs felt completely torn, confused and honestly more than a little spooked, seeing how upset Hiccup was and sensing something going on between them. This sounded more like a very bad argument to him, but what confused him was how swapped their personalities seemed. Usually it was Hiccup who was trying to avoid Astrid... not the other way around!

However, Astrid had a point in Fishleg's mind, and besides, he would _much_ rather not get on Astrid's ugly side... at least _Hiccup_ wasn't the hitting type, not that he knew of anyway, but _she_ however _was_. "Well... alright..." he finally relented and blinked in surprised when Astrid tugged at him until she almost literally dragged him out. What in Thor's name was going on?

Astrid wasted no time putting distance between her and her extremely upset boyfriend. "I promise I'll _talk_ with you later, Hiccup!" she called out nervously. "Just-Just go cool off first!" she begged him.

Hiccup merely watched them go, not moving an inch, biding his time. He wasn't nearly as angry as he seemed, his pride being hurt more than anything, but that didn't mean he would let her walk all over him like that. When he got his hands on her, oooooh, there would be Hel to pay. Hiccup turned sharply and set off to cool off like Astrid asked him to, to go and deal with his now impossible to ignore problem, confusing Toothless when he became snappy with him.

Toothless blinked in confusion, having simply wanted to go for a fly... but he sensed the volatile emotions rolling off his human and wisely decided to go find Stormfly instead.

Once they were far enough away, Astrid allowed herself to finally relax, resisting the urge to collapse in relief. Great Odin's ghost, Hiccup really was like a slumbering volcano! For the love of the gods! She had just wanted to tease him a little that month, make him a little impatient, she had no idea he was already _this_ starving for her! She should have known though, after all, it had already been over a month since they were last together, having been putting him off about two weeks before she decided to avoid him already. Somehow she had forgotten about that...

Gods, she was such a fool!

"So what was that all about?" Fishlegs asked curiously. "I've only ever seen him that upset a few times..." he trailed off with uncertainty.

Astrid squirmed a little, not knowing what to tell him. "It's nothing," she began, "-we just had a disagreement and he is being extremely stubborn about it..."

Fishlegs seemed unconvinced. "Normally he's the one running away from you though? What kind of disagreement was this?"

Astrid struggled to try to keep him in the dark. "It was um," she bit her lip and squirmed again.

"It was about the hunters, wasn't it?" Fishlegs very inaccurately guessed.

Astrid jumped on the gods-given excuse however. "YES! That's it! Yeah! Hiccup, he's so stubborn, he wants to go after them, try to stop every hunter out in the archipelago from catching dragons..!" she explained lamely.

Fortunately for her, Fishlegs was completely gullible and nodded in understanding. "Being stubborn seems to be a talent of his. I trust you set him straight?"

Astrid smiled weakly and nodded. "Oh uh- of course, yeah I set him straight alright..." she trailed off.

As she helped him in the surprisingly peaceful and therapeutic task of gathering food, she was unable to believe the actual panic and anxiety she had felt at trying to escape Hiccup's clutches. To be perfectly honest with herself though, she had also felt an acute and overwhelming thrill at being chased by a sexually starving Hiccup, too. It wasn't like Hiccup would force himself on her, but he was very upset and at that moment not thinking straight. Testosterone was making it difficult for him to think clearly so who knew what he might have done if he caught her?

Astrid really didn't want to have to kick his ass if he lost his head... or risk simply letting him have his way in the middle of Dragon's Edge, so to avoid the conflict altogether she ran away instead. She sighed and wondered how deeply she was digging her grave with all this avoidance.

Last time they went through this she had been genuinely stressed and feeling rightly displaced. She had no idea what was going on, what Hiccup even _was_ to her, and her avoidance had been out of a genuine need to cope. Hiccup, having sensed that and being the good guy he was, had kept his distance. This time, she had done this to herself without even realizing how badly it was now!

Gods, what had she done?

That night during dinner, Hiccup's eyes were almost exclusively on her, not even caring if he was caught blatantly staring at her by anyone else, his eyes boring and intense. Astrid shifted in her seat, trying not to let him get to her, but still felt herself almost sweating, felt her body aching distractingly in response. The others carried on with their usual bantering, not noticing the volatile tension in the room between their two leaders.

Astrid took deep breaths, trying to calm down. The unbearable twinge of pleasure between her legs was making it impossible to sit straight, and with all the squirming she was doing she had to force herself to stay silent. She had decided he was still in a dangerous state of mind and quiet honestly wanted to enjoy her time with him.

After dinner, Astrid went through another panic attack avoiding Hiccup. She knew if she let him have her that he would take out his frustrations of today on her, he would be rough and he might not hear her... and she would let him, because she knew he deserved it and she wanted to give him everything he wanted.

But... she also wanted to _connect_ him when they were finally together, connect in an emotional level, explore the bond they had with each other... she craved that more than anything else, more than the actual intimacy. If he was too blinded by anger and frustration it wouldn't be good for either of them. She bemoaned her situation, wondering if she ruined it for herself.

The shield-maiden set her dishes aside, bid her friends a very fleeting good night, and all but sprinted out of the clubhouse, ignoring their startled and confused stares. Fortunately Hiccup didn't pursue her this time, hopefully having been given enough time to calm down since that afternoon. When she reached the relative safety of her hut she ran her fingers through her hair, squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to calm down.

However, the normally warm night air was making her already overheated body continue to betray her, barely restrained desire pounding through her veins. That chase earlier and the tension in the clubhouse nearly undid her, and it was everything she could do to keep herself from finding Hiccup and giving herself to him. But now she couldn't, despite wanting to. She _needed_ him to calm down first! At least not tonight.

Astrid went through her nightly routine completely distracted, barely managing to get through them. Once she was in bed, she tossed and turned, kicking her blanket off her, groaning in exasperation, clawing at her bed to try to keep herself still. She turned in bed then, gazing in the direction of Hiccup's hut longingly. Her cruelly mind replayed how she almost gave in to him earlier, how hot and wet he got her, how unbelievably she needed him.

This was killing her! And so was _he.  
_

Again Astrid wished she hadn't been so damn selfish, but at this point she truly couldn't do anything about it

Oh how she wished she was as clueless about the pleasures of adulthood as she was when she was younger again. She wished she didn't know how much he could make her gush with soaking pleasure and scream his name in ecstasy. She wished this just so she didn't have to continually fight herself to stay away from him! And ironically enough, she had done this to herself! She had coaxed and brought that intoxicating confidence out of him, inspiring him to explore and become the sexual genius he now was, and even told him to take what he wanted... now she was paying the price.

Astrid moaned hauntingly and covered her face with her pillow, so aroused it hurt. She had even almost slowed down when he was chasing her! She had almost allowed him to catch her! That would have been extremely foolish. He had been so wound tight that he probably wasn't aware of his surroundings at the moment.

Gods, what was wrong with her?

She knew though, a part of her craved it with an intense hungry, needing him to catch her and take her like she had told him he had permission to do. But she knew she couldn't let him touch her before he could get his head on straight again, not once, or else things could get very bad for them... so to protect them both, she ran like the fires of Helheim itself were at her heels.

What made it worse was how well she knew he was suffering, and probably furiously getting himself off at that very second. Astrid tried not to imagine his hand stroking that magnificent length of his, but it was pointless to even try to push the thoughts away at this point. She yearned so very badly for him, almost wished he would slip into her hut like he had done many times before and ravage her until the early light of morning.

Unable to take it, Astrid slipped her hand between her legs, trying to ease the incessant pressure building almost painfully. She closed her eyes and pleasured herself, fantasizing about how he might have taken her at the stables if she let him. She imagined how he'd pull her clothes down, trap her against the wall, and pleasure her continually to punish her for making him wait until she whined and begged him.

Then she imagined him pressing her harder against the wall and thrusting his rigid erection deep into her from behind, pinning her wrists against the wall and slapping into her until she exploded all over the wall and around his throbbing cock, screaming his name.

Astrid imagined him making her feel him release his hot seed deep inside her, while he held her still until he was done, grinding his belly against her ass and moaning against her ear. She imagined that he'd get her to the edge of orgasm again with that, but keep her from feeling it until she again begged him to fuck her. She imagined him then scooping her up and carrying her off to his bed to have his wicked way with her, mercy the last thing on his mind.

The erotic fantasy did its job and she felt herself go off hard, not even able to stop or muffle herself as she moaned his name breathlessly, her orgasm made so much stronger with the knowledge that it would have probably happened exactly like that.

As soon as the barely contained screech left her, Astrid felt intense panic again, wondering if he heard her, if he was going to come in and take advantage of her currently weakened, vulnerable state.

Astrid waited, holding her breath, shivering where she lay soaked in sweat and arousal, torn between wanting it to happen and praying to Freyja that it wouldn't. After a bit, she let our a ragged sigh of relief when it didn't seem like he heard her... or at least, wasn't going to come ravage her.

Astrid twisted in bed, clutching her head and groaning to herself in disbelief. Why had she done this to herself? Why had she done this to him? A part of her knew it was almost like there was a force stronger than herself making her do this, even if it wasn't the gods, but it still made this unbearable to handle.

Astrid knew Hiccup would be upset for a longer period of time this time, and she knew she had no right to blame him. She decided she would apologize to him, she just hoped he could forgive her for being such a bitch to him. She sighed wearily then and drifted off into fitful sleep.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Astrid struggles with trying to keep things the way things were, but things are different this time and her lover is feeling the strain much more. This time Hiccup suspects she's playing hard to get and isn't having any of it! Watch out Astrid, or the sex demon will getcha! Wahahaa... Also, poor confused Fishlegs. _

_Oh and I wanted to point out that I am very aware of the amount of typos in "Thor Help Her", and probably in this story too! I've never used a Beta so a lot slip past me when I write. I will be sure to fix them when I get the chance._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Elle Reez** : Since both those Astrids are now essentially different people in a way, no, it won't parallel "Waking Up"._

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : Astrid is her own worst enemy again lol._

 _ **wikelia** : How are you enjoying the tension now? Buwahaha!_

 _ **asian-simbae** : Oh her problems are just getting worse lol._

 _ **Sara** : You're very right, and I'm sorry I hadn't explained the situation better so far... but it really is integral to the plot for things to happen similar to the way they had before. This is supposed to loop back, to show that you can't escape destiny. All of this is in Freyja's plan for her, and Astrid is simply acting out on instinct at this point. I hope you understood it a little better from my explanation in this chapter? If not, let me know._


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Part of Your Life" by Aquilo_ _._

* * *

As the weeks turned into a month... or rather _two_ if the previous month leaving him dry counted... and it very much did, Astrid knew things were getting _very_ bad, especially after what she had done to him. Astrid _wasn't_ actively avoiding him now, but somehow she still couldn't find a time and place to catch up with him. She knew he was still upset about that day, but for some reason he had stopped trying to pursue her altogether. In fact, for the past few days she almost couldn't find him most of the time... it was as though _he_ was the one avoiding _her_ this time.

Astrid could tell he was beyond upset with her, but on the outside he was as cheerful and ready for adventure as any other day. She knew better though, knew him well enough to know he was a volcano ready to explode. Astrid saw the signs with much more clarity now, knew him very well and could tell with every twitch, every stiff posture, every clipped answer, that he was beginning to lose it.

If it had been a normal situation where they were forced to stay apart, it wouldn't have been so bad, since even then they found time to bond with each other... but this time, nothing was really keeping them apart, _except themselves_ , which just made it so much worse. Astrid wasn't sure why he was avoiding her this time, maybe his attempt to cool off, or maybe... maybe he was still too upset with her.

This time Astrid was the one chasing him around, if only to try to apologize to him. But he didn't seem to want to be caught, always coming up with an excuse to do something more constructive, cutting her off when she began to try to explain herself to him. Astrid felt her heart break a little, wondering again if she had messed things up with him.

Why'd she have to have such stupid _stupid_ goals? What was more irritating was that Astrid longed for him so strongly, and he _knew_ this, and knowing how much she wanted him made _him_ even more irritated, causing him to avoid her more. This was so messed up!

Over a month without him was torture to her in ways she never thought could be so bad, but with him now being the elusive, fleeting one, Astrid almost felt like she couldn't breathe. She missed him so much it hurt. She missed feeling herself cocooned by his arms, loved, protected, feeling his intoxicating warmth, listening to him drone on in that low voice he took when they were alone, feel the rumble in his chest as he spoke. She missed how he squeezed her and rubbed her back, whispered how he felt for her... it was excruciating not being with him. How does one stay separated from the person they loved so devastatingly and stay sane?

They don't, that's how.

A week or two was one thing, but over a month? And without reprieve? Odin _almighty_.

Aside from the whole impossible to contain love she felt for him, a month apart hadn't been so bad when they were first starting out together, but now that they were having sex almost every other night, it was a torment. Now she knew how that other Hiccup had felt back then, why he had gone so crazy and almost lost it a few times. She knew now that _that_ Hiccup had been making love with her other self pretty regularly himself, and then suddenly nothing for _three months_? Not one, not two, but _THREE_?

Sweet baby Thor!

Her poor, poor neglected boyfriend had been going through complete _agony_! Astrid had unintentionally tortured him in ways she hadn't begun to realize back then, but _gods_ did she know now. Now if only _he_ wasn't being a stubborn Viking and just stop for two seconds to listen to her, maybe she could fix the _rift_ between them! A rift of _her_ creation...

A few days later, Astrid felt like she was simply moving through the motions. Hiccup had claimed she was one of the most stubborn Vikings he knew, well, she felt much the same for him. Astrid had stopped trying to catch him and they fell into an uneasy truce of some sort. At least, the kind of truce that meant that neither of them were even trying to simply _be_ together... which just hurt so much more than anything she felt ever could. Astrid had even tried to walk _him_ to his hut one night... he simply bid her goodnight and left her standing there feeling lost.

What had she done?

At that moment, Astrid and the rest of them found themselves on the dormant volcano of their island, near the highest peak. Something about this seemed familiar again and she felt a twinge of deja vu. Was this one of those things that happened to her that was significant to her in some way? Astrid wasn't sure but she kept a wary eye out. Gods, it was bad enough she was having to keep an eye on Hiccup, now she had to watch out for whatever repeated event the universe decided to through at her, too.

"Alright guys, let's drop the foundation, right about... here!" Hiccup instructed, helping Fishlegs and Meatlug carry a heave boulder to the desired spot for their new watch tower. Astrid flew in with Snotlout, their dragons carrying another boulder and dropped it a few paces away from the other one, trying to measure how wide the tower would be. "That should work," Hiccup nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect location."

The two other males there went on about how much of a pain Hiccup had been lately, all but insisting they get something productive done, using the ships that they had spotted a few times as a valid excuse... though none of them knew the real reason why he was so edgy lately. Astrid tuned them out and looked around then for the twins, not seeing them, and wondered what they were up to.

Just then she heard the unmistakable joy cry from Tuffnut and Ruffnut at the very highest peak of the mountain. They all turned and watched as they cruised down, sledding with their dragon and crying with excitement. The four of them winced then when the careless and often thoughtless duo began to having their dragon blast gas explosions into the air.

A bolt of anxiety went through her and Astrid suddenly remembered this. "Oh gods, they are going to bring the whole mountain down!" she gasped, knowing very well what was about to happen.

Hiccup didn't say anything to her this time, or at all really, just frowned in concern as the unmistakable crack of ice was heard in the distance. His eyes widened then when he saw that she was right. "Guys! The ice! It's an avalanche! Move out of the way!" he shouted, taking off with them to avoid the avalanche. Astrid and Fishlegs rushed to help the twins, seeing them get themselves way over their head, but they were unable to get to the Zippleback in time. Hiccup dived down, getting Toothless to speed through the snow and ice that swarmed around them.

In the end, Barf and Belch were saved by Hiccup, and just like the last time she experienced this, she noticed them unusually attached to him.

Astrid tried to go about her day as she usually would before this mess started, but for her own amusement, and probably her own torment, she decided to stick just a little closer to Hiccup when he was at the base... just so she could at least be in his presence without having to worry about what he was feeling around her. She made she he couldn't see her though, simply watched as the dragon slowly began to drive him even crazier than he already was.

Even at night they didn't leave his side, so it gave her the excuse to take a breather from her own anxiety. She could still tell that he was sexual frustration, the few times his eyes follow her around if he caught her, visually undressing her, but he only did it when he thought she wasn't looking, and he kept his distance, continuing his bout of silence with her.

She had no idea this could be so much of a torture!

After a few ridiculous but extremely entertaining events at her poor boyfriend's expense, Astrid wanted to try to help him out, thought he had suffered enough... _especially_ when some of their crazy ideas actually nearly got him killed! Like the logs rolling toward him thing. She wanted to help, even though she knew it would backfire on her. She wanted to tell him she didn't think the twins' ideas were any good, but was also honestly eager to see Hiccup punch Snotlout's lights out again. That had been _entirely_ too pleasing. So in the end she kept silent, watching it play through the way she assumed it had before.

The next morning, Astrid peeked from behind her hut, watching as Snotlout made his way with a practically diabolical look in his yes. They waited a few minutes but Hiccup eventually made his way out, looking more sleep-deprived than ever. "Hey!" Snotlout sneered.

Hiccup blinked in confusion. "H-Hey..?" he questioned, then promptly had his face punched in.

Astrid winced, watching him fall to the floor from the hit and felt her ire and bloodlust toward the short viking shoot through her. No... no... she had to stay calm, Hiccup would set his straight, she just needed to be patient and watch. They argued a bit and Snotlout did everything he could think of to provoke him. This time, Hiccup didn't even wait for Snotlout to open his arms up and taunt him, he simply spun around and slammed his fist into him. Fortunately, he still ended up using his less dominant right hand, so he didn't _destroy_ his cousin.

Snotlout flew back from the unusual force of the punch, nearly falling over the edge of the wooden walkway, yowling in pain. He coughed a few time, spitting out a tooth, and then promptly slumped back down, completely unconscious. Astrid bit her lip and held back a moan of appreciation. This time he had been _so_ much _more_ aggressive, no doubt from all the piled on frustrations. Odin help her, why did she find that so amazingly arousing!? Again she had to wonder where the Hel that amazing strength hid in him!

Astrid made herself known then, dashing over. "What in Thor's name happened? Don't get me wrong, Hiccup you have no idea how great it was to see that, but why did you hit him?" she asked.

Hiccup's eyes locked with hers for a second, but he remained silent. Astrid squirmed a little from the intensity of his piercing stare and would have felt anxious if she hadn't known the Zippleback would be very close by. Instead of answering her question though, he turned to look toward where he knew the twins were. "Clubhouse, now! And get him some ice!" he ordered, brushing past her as he stormed off. Astrid winced, not liking the cold attitude he was giving her a single bit. She knew she deserved it though, so she accepted it with a heavy heart and went with him.

When they all got to the clubhouse Snotlout was finally coming around. Astrid handed him some ice, trying not to sneer in amusement at how much pain he seemed to be in. They watched as Hiccup paced like a caged dragon, more upset than he probably would have been at that point. The pent up sexual frustration and annoyance with _her_ made his irritation for the events that week so much worse this time.

The twins tried to come up with another plan, but Hiccup rounded on them and asked them to give him time to figure out a solution on his own, then left without another word. Astrid watched him go, feeling like she was forgetting something... something very important, but she couldn't remember what it was.

About an hour or two later, Astrid finally remembered what she had been forgetting! This was the night Hiccup was captured and taken by Dagur, Ryker, and their men! "Oh my gods, Hiccup!" she called as she flew with Stormfly, combing their island, searching the seas, but they were long gone by then and she had no idea where to start searching. "Hiccup!" she called out, not finding him anywhere.

Last time she had helped Fishlegs carry crates of supplies into the clubhouse, but this time she couldn't just sit around! Unfortunately, it was already getting dark and she knew she had to go back. If memory served her right, she knew Barf and Belch would be there to protect him. With more anxiety than she had felt yet, she made her way back.

At the clubhouse she saw Toothless and went over to him with Stormfly. She hopped off and draped her arms around his neck, unable to stop herself from shaking. Toothless picked his head up and blinked down at her in question. He glanced up at Stormfly and heard her warble in confused concern. Toothless took a sniff at her and could smell her fear and anxiety. He rumbled at her, crooning as soothingly as he could, trying to calm her down. He was well aware of how closely bonded she and his human were, and knew she was just as or even more worried than he was for his safety.

Astrid knew she shouldn't be so worried, knew the Zippleback would relay their location soon, but she couldn't help it. Things had gone so wrong between them, she had hurt him and now she didn't know how he would handle the Outcasts in the state he was in! Who knew how differently things could turn out? Time was always in motion, after all and Astrid was merely a pawn to it.

"I'm sorry, Toothless! I should have tried to remember about this better! I should have tried harder to apologize, to keep him here!" Astrid sniffled. Toothless trilled mournfully, smelling her tears, nuzzling the distressed human as Stormfly laid herself down next to them, sandwiching the distraught human between them. Both dragons were at a loss at knowing how to calm her down, so they simply let her worry herself to sleep.

Astrid was woken up about an hour later when Fishlegs and the twins made their way in, the twins asking if anyone saw where their dragon was. "Barf and Belch are with Hiccup," Astrid murmured quietly, then tuned them out when they rattled on about how unjust it all was. She waited patiently, staring hard out at the sea, waiting for the Zippleback to announce where they were. Ten minutes felt like an eternity to her, but _finally_ they blasted out their distress signal. "Come on! Let's go!" she ordered them, saddling up and shooting out with Stormfly. Toothless roared in distress where he was, wanting so desperately to go with them. "We'll bring him back, Toothless!" Astrid called back.

As part of her knew they would, things turned out just fine in the end and they were able to get to Hiccup on time. When they landed back at Dragon's Edge, Astrid was simply unable to stop herself from running to him. Hiccup noticed her approach and instinctively opened his arms to her. She fell into his embrace, feeling his arms wrap securely around her, holding her shaking form close to his chest. Astrid felt herself go slack with overwhelming relief. This time, he accepted and returned her affection.

Astrid bit back a mournful whimper, knowing they couldn't risk staying like that for long in front of everyone. Even though she inwardly screamed at the loss she felt from pulling away from him, she forced herself to do so anyway. "I'm fine, Astrid," Hiccup he assured her softly.

Astrid could see him resisting attempting to reach for her cheek and felt her heart race. His eyes swam with expressive emotions, and his fingers gently grazed over her wrist as he stepped back. Astrid nearly sobbed in relief when she realized he wasn't ignoring her anymore. Unable to handle the situation though, afraid that she would burst into tears, Astrid left without another word, went directly to her hut, bypassing dinner, intending to try to get her mind off the events and to calm down. The others watched her go in concern, but said nothing.

Just as it happened before, that night Astrid had a very strong urge to check on him, just to give her peace of mind, to make sure he was truly safe and sound. Just as before though, she refused to listen to that urge and stayed where she was. She knew he was okay, but it didn't stop her mind from going through different horrible scenarios that could have happened. Astrid forced those thoughts out of her head, knowing it was foolish to think of that sort of thing. Instead, she got ready for bed and laid down, thinking about how different it was for her this time around.

The last time this happened, if she remembered correctly, she had been conflicted about seeing him, not wanting to admit to herself that she felt more about him than a strong friendship. This time she knew very much how she felt for him, how devastatingly in love she was with him, how much her world revolved around him. If she lost him tonight... if she lost him... and before she had a chance to apologize to him..? To leave things between them so messed up..? Astrid forced those thoughts out of her mind, or at least tried to, and forced her mind to quiet down, forced herself to fall asleep.

Despite things being slightly different than they were last time, some things stayed the same... like her increasingly frequent nightmares. Astrid found herself trapped in her dreams again as they turned darker than ever. This time it was so much worse than the dream she had before and Astrid was helpless to stop it, whimpering in her sleep as it cruelly taunted her.

 _Astrid found herself standing before Hiccup on the outcast ship, surrounded by the outcasts. She blinked in surprise, wondering how she got their, but wouldn't let it stop her from trying to help! She ran over with that intention, trying to help him fights them off, but before she knew what had happened, someone knock her down and tied her up. She tried to scream, tried to warn him about the men surrounding him, but he was quickly overwhelmed. Astrid watched in horror as the drew their weapons up and then down with great force, hacking him to bloody bits, hearing him scream for her to help him._

 _Astrid screamed but the dream still didn't end there._

 _Astrid found herself yanked painfully from that situation, torn away and deposited in a different time and location. She was forcibly dragged back into the past then, back to the beginning, that day she had told him about her vision, when she and Hiccup were still just friends, right after he had told her he was her friend and that he would always be there for her if she needed him. Astrid tried to open her mouth to explain what was happening to her like she did last time, but was again physically unable to say anything about it._

 _Just then, the outcasts appeared again, led by Ryker, and she was forced to watch him get run through before her eyes. She screamed again for him but is taken away again._

 _Then she saw that she was standing in front of his slightly older self, just when she had confessed to him. She heard herself confessing, but to her horror, he didn't say or do anything this time, didn't react to her. Again she watched the outcasts appear, and again they surrounded him. Astrid tried to help but she couldn't move from her spot, couldn't even get her voice to work. She helplessly watched him get brutally maimed, screaming and begging her to help him again._

 _The outcasts disappeared then and suddenly she could move again. She stumbled as she ran to his side, falling to the floor by his mangled body. "I... I love you, Astrid..." he choked out, desperate to get it out before he died, blood filling his lungs, making it difficult to speak. All of a sudden an outcast's sword came out of nowhere, slicing down in front of her view of him, going through his face in an instant, splattering his warm blood on her own face._

Astrid screamed herself awake then, the images of her love's multiple, violent deaths, of the corpses of him during her most significant moments with him still before her eyes, flailing, sobbing and screeching for Hiccup. " _Hiccup_! _Hiccup..!_ No..! No..! _No.._! Oh gods please _noo_..!" she howled. Just as before, she was desperate and loud enough for Hiccup to hear her.

Hiccup nearly fell out of his bed when he heard her. Normally with screams he would fear an attack, but he knew she only screamed like that when she was in the throes of a nightmare. Unfortunately he had become very familiar with that. He hurriedly pulled his prosthetic on and sprinted out of his hut. He leapt up her stairs to her bedroom and found her, freezing at the sight.

Hiccup gaped in horror at the state she was in, seeing her kicking and screaming in a panic in bed. He reacted instantly and rushed over, jumping onto the bed and scrambled to grab her flailing limbs, trying to pull her struggling form closer to him, calling her name. Astrid didn't see or hear him for a second, still horrified by the sight of three versions of her soul-mate dying in such violent ways with her unable to do anything to stop it. "Astrid! Astrid! Calm down! You're okay! It's just a dream!" he shouted, trying to get through to her. "Babe, please calm down..." he begged her helplessly, wrapping his arms around her.

It took a few seconds, but as soon as she felt his arms squeeze her against him, Astrid realized she was awake, he was there, and he wasn't dead. " _Oh gods, Hiccup_! They got you! They killed you over and over! Please don't l-leave like that again! Please don't d-die and leave me alone, _please_!" she begged him, clinging to him desperately, latching on and sobbing.

Hiccup, confused and still half-asleep felt familiar and terrible concern for his beloved. He pulled her closer still, moving her to nestle her over his lap, rocking her back and forth. "Shh, it's just another nightmare, just a dream, it's not real. It's okay, I'm here," he assured her soothingly.

Astrid did all she could to try to calm down, but the recent terrible events on Berk, the amount of time forced away from each other, the fear for his life, it wouldn't leave her alone. To her horror, Astrid then felt old wounds tearing open a little, making her face her fears of rejection from him... what if she told him what was truly wrong and he... he wouldn't forgive her? Astrid's fear of losing him had always been her worst handicap. Unable to stop herself, she shook and grasped at his tunic helplessly, desperately, tears still falling freely.

"Oh, Astrid..." Hiccup sighed sadly. "Baby, please calm down..?" he cooed. Finally, after what seemed like the whole night, she started to settle down, gulping down tears and whimpering softly. "...Do you want to talk about it..?" he asks carefully, rubbing her back as soothingly as he could.

Astrid took a moment to force herself to relax, trying to push away the gruesome images, her fears of being taken away again, her fears that she would never be able to heal those old wounds, it was all nearly too much for her to take. She sunk into his arms, into his warmth, his security, almost cried again at how much she had missed this, missed him. Her fingers tightened over his shirt again and she took several more breaths to calm down.

Astrid knew why her dreams were so much worse this time, knew that with her heart open to him as completely as it was, she was vulnerable. With the knowledge that it was possible, if the gods so chose to, they could pluck her away from him and she knew in her soul that it would end her. Part of her knew at least Freyja would never do that to her, and probably wouldn't allow it either, but it didn't stop her irrational fears from clouding her mind. The fact that any number of changes could have happened during his capture... and because of _her_ on top of it, the slightest possibility that he could have died... it was enough to drive her mad.

"I... I couldn't save you... you were caught by Ryker and Dagur again. I... I had tried to go and help but... but they restrained me and tore you apart in front of me... you screamed for help as... as they _hacked_ at you, but I could do nothing... I-I watched you die..." she explained brokenly, too nervous to explain the rest of the dream, not that she really needed to, to get the general gist across. She didn't even think she could bring herself to speak it out loud either, knowing she would be inconsolable if she did.

Hiccup was silent for a moment, thinking over what she told him, how much his little misadventure affected her. He knew she loved him, but didn't understand how this would have caused her such a terrible nightmare. It wasn't even the worst danger he had ever been in, so what was really wrong? Part of him wondered if she again wasn't telling him the full dream, wondered if it had something to do with that _vision_ she had experienced years back that had her acting strange for a few months.

Hiccup so wanted to interrogate her about that at that point, feeling it was the source of _all_ of her troubles... but he knew he couldn't at the moment, not now, not when she was in such a fragile state. "Astrid, it was only a dream. A horrible, _brutal_ dream, but still something that isn't real. None of that happened, I'm here, safe and sound, okay?" he mumbled softly, resting his chin over her head, his hand still rubbing her back gently.

Astrid's grasp on him tightened again. "You _could have_ died, you could have _died_ and there would have been _nothing_ we could have done about it! I would have... I would have _lost_ you! I- I would have... and with us so..." she trailed off, unable to keep the deep shudders of grief from locking her throat up.

Hiccup sighed again. "Astrid..." he began gently, "-Astrid, you shouldn't think that way..!" he murmured. "Thinking about the what ifs and could have beens will only cripple you, you _know_ that. Besides, it's a Viking's lot in life to be in danger sometimes, remember?" he explained, his tone still smooth and low. Astrid was silent for a moment, still clinging to him.

Hiccup thought for a moment, wondering what could brighten her up a little. "You know, it takes a bit more than those losers to defeat me," he said with a little smile, but she barely reacted. "...Besides, Barf and Belch were there to help me get out of that mess, right? Even if they hadn't had that _irritating_ life debt, they would have helped me, so please relax, okay?" Instead of answering, Astrid held onto him tighter. Hiccup frowned sadly and kissed her hair. "Astrid, I will _always_ return to you..." he promised her, his words firm and loving.

Astrid whimpered at the familiar words, hiding her face in his shoulder, unable to stop shaking a little more.

Hiccup leaned a little more comfortably against her bed and then felt her shift to get a little more comfortable. Feeling her brush against him made him have to force the shiver away and shut his eyes. A little niggling thought occurred to him then. He tried very hard not to notice how achingly close they were, how amazing she felt in his arms again, how long it had been without her with him, how much he wanted her, _needed_ her. Hiccup wouldn't take advantage of her, not when she was in this state, but it was slowly starting to kill him. Hiccup felt completely torn, not sure what was going on with her, but worried he might lose it if he stayed.

Oblivious to the extent of his inner turmoil, Astrid knew he was going to try to head back, if memory served her right, felt him start to push her away and panicked. "H-Hiccup, please.. please stay..." she begged him. "Please I... I need you to hold me... I don't think I could handle it if... if we were apart right now... I... I need your arms..." she whimpered, needing him like she needed breath in her lungs.

Hiccup swallowed a groan of frustration but ultimately decided his love for her was far too great to deny her. She was worth suffering for. He settled back against the bed then, leaning back against the headboard, keeping her as close to him as he could. He wrapped his long arms around her, holding her securely against him. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised, kissing her forehead tenderly once more. Astrid fell into his embrace, succumbing to the bliss and comfort it gave her, slumping in relief. "You will always have my arms, even when you're driving me _completely crazy_ and frustrating the _Hel_ out of me," he murmured.

Astrid stiffened then, a sharp realization running through her, feeling conflicted sensations, panic rising within her again when she realized how _dangerous_ this was. What had she done? Gods almighty, he had her right where he could do anything he wanted to her! Astrid knew if he tried anything now, with how vulnerable she was, that was it, she was doomed. "H-Hiccup..." she whimpered again, feeling completely torn by it, knowing he had _every_ right to have her, but... but...

Hiccup could sense the panic in her, felt her shivering a little and snorted softly. "Go to sleep, Astrid," he said in a slightly colder tone than he meant, making her flinch a little. "Don't worry, I won't try anything, at least not _tonight_ ," he added, his hold tightening a little, letting her know she was far from off the hook. Ignoring her shudder at his words, he went on. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm here for you, I'll _always_ be here for you, no matter what comes between us."

Astrid whimpered again in disbelief of his unbelievable selflessness, of his overpowering love for her, of his incredible effort to put his own suffering away in order to comfort _her_ , she who had made him suffer in the first place! Freyja! she did not deserve him! Astrid felt herself crying again, unable to stop herself. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup!" she choked out. "I'm so sorry I hurt you these past months! I'm so sorry I made you s-suffer!" she cried, hiding her face against his shoulder.

Hiccup's hold on her tightened once more and he sighed deeply. "Shh... sleep now, milady," and murmured in a much warmer tone then, rubbing her back again, letting her know that he was still there for her and wouldn't let her stubbornness get in the way of it. Astrid allowed his overwhelming love blanket her, reveling in it, letting it suffuse her and banish her fears, her regrets, her guilt, and to simply comfort her.

They closed their eyes and even though they both had unbearable pent up sexual frustration, the feel of their arms around each other was a solace to them. They drifted off to sleep together, the deep yearning to be together finally being gently soothed. Astrid didn't have any more nightmares that night, dreaming only of being with her best friend, her lover, her soul-mate.

The next morning, Astrid woke up feeling more at ease and comfortable than she had in far too long. She felt herself cocooned by the arms of her lover, so warm and inviting. She sighed blissfully, closing her eyes again, nuzzling into his warmth against her and smiled softly, relishing in the wonderful feeling after such a long time without him.

It took her a few seconds, but then intense realization made Astrid's eyes snap wide open.

Oh... oh this wasn't good! This wasn't good at all! Astrid felt panic well inside her and tried very hard not to hyperventilate, realizing then how well and truly in _danger_ she was. Hiccup was wrapped up all around her, long limbs trapping her against the bed, soft puffs of breath on her neck where his head was bent slightly toward her as he slept. He was still asleep, that was good, but he could wake up at any moment and when he did, if she was still there, she was _in trouble_.

Astrid bemoaned her circumstance. They were just as tangled as they normally were whenever they slept together. Last night he had been a perfect gentleman, even though she knew he was restraining himself with everything he had and she couldn't love him more for it, but it was a different case now. At least, in his eyes it very much would be.

Astrid had decided during the time he had avoided her that she wouldn't make him wait any longer, was tired of making him suffer just so she could satisfy her own greedy needs. But at this point, she knew he wouldn't take it it easy on her, knew he wouldn't listen to her, and knew he was still very much upset with her, even with how attentive he had been last night. But she needed to get her own head on straight before they did anything!

At this moment, Hiccup was like a hibernating bear... he was all cuddly and soft while he was asleep, but as soon as he woke up, she was in deep trouble. She was no longer in the unstable state that she had been in last night, no matter how fresh her nightmare was in her mind, so he wouldn't accept it as an excuse. She knew if he woke up before she could escape, he wouldn't let her get away. After what she did to him that other night, when he almost took her against the wall of the stables, she would get no mercy from him, no matter what she said.

He was so sexually frustrated now that the only way she'd be able to get him to stop and listen, to stop him in general, was if she forced him to. He would trap her beneath him and he would seduce her. He would pleasure her every way he knew how, and he would force her to feel wave after wave of unresolved sexual need until she was practically begging him to fuck her. Astrid had every intention of letting him do _all_ of that and more, of course, but at that very second, her head was still too full of the gruesome images of her dreams, pictured his mangled, blood body too clearly still.

So, that being the case, still needing a little time to clear her mind, Astrid needed to be as careful as she could getting out of his arms.

Holding her breath, anxiety rushing through her, Astrid very carefully pulled her trapped arms and legs from his own limbs, her breath catching when he stirred a little. Hiccup sighed and tilted a little toward her. Astrid's eyes were wide a she stared into his slumbering face, holding perfectly still, heart thudding hard... but he didn't wake. She resisted letting out a ragged breath of relief, nervous is might wake up. Nerve-wracked, she bit her lip and very cautiously pulled away, finally slipping out of his embrace.

As soon as she was free, trying to ignore how her body rejected the mere idea of leaving his warmth, she then very quietly and very reluctantly slipped out of bed. She tried to control her breathing, her senses attuned to his sleeping form on the bed as she crept around her room, trying to avoid squeaky planks. She rushed as quietly as she could to grab her things, not even bothering to clasp her armor back on, too nervous to stay in there too long, and all but ran out, nearly tripping down her ladder.

Once she was outside of her hut, Astrid almost collapsed in relief, taking deep breaths to calm down. Gods, that was close! Astrid laughed a little to herself, laughing at his ridiculous she was being, at her daring 'escape' from Hiccup's ' _dangerous_ ' clutches again.

Relaxing a little, Astrid went off then toward the stables, knowing Stormfly would be waiting to go with her as she was every morning. She needed the time alone at the moment to clear her mind, to force it to quiet, to relax after yesterday's terrifying events and that nights' horrible dreams. What better way was there than to go on her morning training routine?

As she knew she would be, Stormfly was waiting for her, awake and alert. The Deadly Nadder chirped happily at her in greeting, running over to nuzzle her, cooing a little sadly. "I'm alright now, Stormfly," Astrid insisted, knowing her girl would be worried about her. Stormfly nuzzled her a little more then before lowering herself down for her. Astrid grinned and happily took the invitation, saddling up and taking off.

Her training was just as useless as usual those past months though, though this time not at all for sexual reasons.

Unfortunately, Astrid was unable to find Hiccup throughout that day, hadn't seen him since that morning. That night was when she finally caught a glimpse of him, but he seemed too tired that night for much, so she didn't even try to approach him yet and simply left it alone.

The next few days were spent mostly searching for signs of Dagur or Ryker and trying to boost up their defenses. Astrid had every intention of going to him and trying to figure out a way to explain her avoidance to him and more importantly to try to make it up to him, but found obstacles getting in the way every time, as though the universe was trying to keep them apart this time.

Three days or so later, Astrid was once again feeling a little lost after again not being able to get her hands on her boyfriend. This time though, Astrid was shocked to discover that _he_ was the one playing hard to get! She could tell by the way he smirked and all but danced out of her reach, didn't let her touch him. She knew now that _he_ knew she was trying to make it up to him. He was giving her a taste of her own medicine... and she didn't like it. Astrid sighed and smiled to herself. She deserved this too, of course.

Astrid took comfort in the fact that at least things seemed good between them again.

At the moment, Astrid was up at her post that evening, her foot tapping and frustration making her go crazy. She had just finished her turn and eagerly awaited the twins to give her her ticket out, remembering this night well, knowing this had been the day she had been working up to so selfishly. Astrid sighed to herself. Well, no point letting it go to waste then, was there? She wondered then if he'd even be at his hut like last time? He had been doing everything he could think of to keep her at bay, after all.

After what to Astrid seemed like an eternity later, she finally spotted Ruffnut and Tuffnut flying over with their Zippleback. As soon as they touched down, she jumped up from her seat. "It's about time, you two!" she told them automatically, though maybe with a bit more frustration than normal, repeating what she had said before, and honestly many times before and after that as well. Ah yes, she could plainly see the distress on their faces, Hiccup must have made them clean something recently. Since he was over his anger and gloom and back to being sexually frustrated, he was back to being a tyrant to the _poor_ twins.

Just as before, Tuffnut spoke first. "Astrid, I don't know what's going on between you and Hiccup- well, not usually anyway, not when you aren't sneaking around -but you have _got_ to make up with him!"

Astrid pretended to shift uneasily. "What are you _talking_ about? Make up with him? What do you even mean?" she asked in mock confusion.

Ruffnut scoffed and spoke then. "Don't try to deny it, Astrid. We know about your 'secret' relationship with him. We nearly walked in on you guys one day, that time Tuffnut's helmet got wedged round his skull- which was awesome by the way -and uh..." she grinned, trailing off.

Tuffnut nodded in agreement, finishing for her. "You guys aren't exactly quiet. Thank Thor Toothless had been outside and warned us not to barge in! By the sound of things, it was almost like Hiccup was tearing you apart! Who knew the guy had it in him? It's always the quiet ones. You're lucky Snotlout is such a deep sleeper." he leered.

Astrid resisted snorting in agreement. With how loud Hiccup got her to be, it was surprising that Snotlout hadn't discover them long ago, especially since they normally went at it in Hiccup's hut, which was nearer to Snotlout's than her's. She had to wonder what time they were referring to though. They usually tried to remain as quiet as they could... though there had been a few times when Hiccup had done everything he could to make her scream... like that one time he had taken her on her hands and knees on the floor of his newly constructed hut... that time there had been nothing she could do to stay quiet and he had made sure to keep her howling.

Odin help her, if they were referring to that she just might die!

Ruffnut spoke up then. "Although, seeing the look on his face when he finally does find out is going to be priceless!" she laughed. Astrid blinked back to the conversation. On that she had to completely agreed with her of course, but she maintained her fake shocked expression.

"You said it, sister!" Tuffnut agreed heartily. Astrid made a show of looking stressed, though with the knowledge that they had almost caught and definitely heard her and Hiccup vigorously fucking, it wasn't too difficult to look nauseated. Fortunately they took the bait. "Hey chill, it's not like we're going to tell. We might be pranksters but-" and now Tuffnut's chest puffed and he put on his dramatic voice. "When it comes to matter of the heart- we have the honor of thieves!"

"Hmm, not sure it works there, bro," Ruffnut pondered, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Tuffnut deflated and thought about it, then nodded in agreement. "Yes, I can see what you mean. Anyway, don't sweat it, Astrid, we won't let you guys' secret out."

"Seriously, what are you on about?" Astrid pretended to try to deny it, crossing her arms and of course trying to not let her own memories kill her brain cells.

Tuffnut groaned in exasperation. "Astrid, please don't deny it! Please, we're begging you-"

"-And you know how much I hate to beg!" Ruffnut interrupted.

"We already started to notice the beast emerging from Hiccup! Please do something to stop him!" Tuffnut cupped his hands in a pleading manner.

"The beast? Hiccup, seriously? You're seriously calling him that?" Astrid's brow rose, lips twitching in amusement, not having remembered that bit. Beast! That was hilarious! Astrid bit her fist, trying not to burst out laughing and reveal too much.

"Yes, beast! He's a merciless tyrant when he isn't getting any!" Tuffnut yelled and Astrid couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, throwing her head back at how dramatic they were and how honestly funny the situation was, how dramatic they were being. "Don't laugh, Astrid! This is serious! The last time that animal didn't get any, he might as well have been the chief himself! Oh the orders he gave! The chores he dealt out! Astrid! You know how much I hate to clean!" Tuffnut all but sobbed, covering his face with his hands while Ruffnut pat his shoulder comfortingly.

Astrid was still pealing with laughter. The last time she went through this she had been so shocked and in denial, now it was just too funny and her sides were starting to hurt. "Astrid, come on, don't make me beg, I hate it so much!" Ruffnut whined. "Alright fine, look, see? This is me begging!"

Astrid finally calmed down and wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you what, I'll go talk with him, okay? I'm not going to acknowledge any so called 'relationship' you might think we have, but I can discuss his 'beastly' treatment over you two," she chuckled.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you, Astrid!" Tuffnut said with a frightening amount of sincerity as he fell to his knees.

Astrid snorted in amusement, rolling her eyes at all the drama and waved them off, walking over to Stormfly and trying not to seem too eager. "Come on, Stormfly, let's go pay a visit to that 'beast'," she smirked. Technically though, when he was dry for too long, he kind of _did_ turn into a wanton monster, so in a way they weren't that far off.

At least now, finally, she could give in and sate that 'monster's' hunger for her, and appease her own howling desire for him as well. She just hoped she'd still be able to walk after he was done with her. Unlike last time, she had NO intention of stopping him tonight. Astrid felt a pang of doubt shoot through her then and she wondered again if he would reject her... after everything she had put him through? But no, she couldn't think that way.

They reached his hut in no time and set down. "Stormfly, will you go on to the stables without me tonight? My _mate_... needs me," she tried to explain, trying to keep the blush off her cheeks. Stormfly tilted her head to the side, not understanding everything she said, but got the general gist of it anyway and bobbed her head in agreement. Astrid watched her Nadder fly off to the stables and then turned to Hiccup's hut.

With a deep breath to calm her shaky nerves, knowing this would be a _long_ night, Astrid carefully opened the door and stepped inside. When she found him with his back to her, taking his armor off, a rush of memories filled her and she smiled fondly, feeling the familiar tingle of desire begin to fill her.

Tonight she would endure anything he desired of her.

Tonight she would give everything he wanted of her, mind, heart, body, she was his for the taking.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** What a nightmare! Much worse than before. Also, cliffhanger! Yay! Haha, come on, you know me. This happened last time, did it not? This time she (thinks she) knows what she's getting herself into! She's about to find out what happens when you sexually deprive your boyfriend for two months straight and leave him blue-balls-high-and-dry all that time..._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Apollo** : Wahahaha! Omg that's funny!_

 _ **Guest(s)** : The tension is real yep. Don't worry, Astrid will get what's coming... to her, haha!_

 _ **ArtanisRose** : It is a very true fact, yep!_

 _ **asian-simbae** : Like what I did here? Emotional rollercoaster, weeee!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : Ohhh they will, don't you worry!_

 _ **wikelia** : Don't you know me by now? You think I'll leave them without getting any for long? Be serious lol._


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Gods and Monsters" by Lana Del Rey._

* * *

Astrid stood by the steps to Hiccup's room, unable to keep herself from shamelessly admiring him, just as she had the last time.

The shield-maiden's eyes traced his back, watching the wiry muscles shift a little with his movements, up to his shoulders, the tension bunching them slightly under his red tunic as he casually unwrapped his bracers. She watched as he turned a little, tossing them to his table nearby. She smiled to herself, remembering ogling him the first time, not able to understand why she was so attracted to him.

This time though, this time Astrid Hofferson knew all too well what was so magnetic about him, what drew her to him and made her ache for Hiccup Haddock with blinding intensity. Despite this, she held herself back for a moment, resisting making herself known, taking the opportunity to simply observe him, knowing he would spot her soon anyway.

Astrid felt a thrill go through her, wondering what it might have been like if she hasn't stopped him the first time. This time, she had no intention of escaping. She also knew well that he wouldn't need to be prompted at all to be dominant with her this time, he was so frustrated and irritated with her that it would come out that way naturally. He would take her and he would give her no mercy. He wouldn't hurt her, of course, but he wouldn't be nice either, not like he usually was. Freyja help her, she also knew well that she was so very much looking forward to it.

Hiccup turned a little more and jumped when he spotted her there suddenly. "A-Astrid!" he blinked in surprised. He took a second to realize he wasn't dreaming, then frowned a little in thought, his head tilting a bit. "...Good evening, milady..." he said in a tone much quieter than Astrid expected from him. His eyes drove shivers from her, but then he smiled a little, regarding her curiously.

Hiccup had not been expecting her to just show up in his hut like this, not having expected it for a long while. It was painful but that's how it had been for weeks. Seeing here there though, filled him with hope and stirred the deep, agonizing hunger that had so driven him insane the past months.

Astrid chewed on her lip, trying not to squirm from the look he was giving her. At the moment, she couldn't decide if she wanted this to be similar to the way things had played out before, or just grab him, strip him and make it up to him. After over a month without each other, Astrid knew this night wouldn't be easy and wouldn't be short. Gods she loved these situations.

Deciding she might at well enjoy herself while she had the chance, she thought it would be fun to mess with him just a little bit more, and honestly not able to resist the temptation. "So uh, what's with _you_ lately? As I hear it, you've been dishing out nasty chores recently. You're scaring the twins..." she asked as casually as she could, trying not to grin in amusement.

Hiccup's eyes widened predictably. "What's with _me_?" he parroted in disbelief. He gaped at her for a second and had to wonder if she was being deliberately obtuse... who was he kidding, of course she was! "I should be asking you that, Astrid!" he huffed in frustration, rubbing his stress tightened neck.

Astrid stared blankly at him, trying not to react like she knew what he was referring to. Provoking him like this was probably a bad move, and she knew if she upset him now he would make this a torture for her... but Freyja, she might just be sexually masochist because the danger of that excited her! "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean. There's nothing wrong," she lied, unable to resist.

Hiccup frowned slightly and began to approach her slowly, making her bite her lip, feeling her heart begin to race. Oh she was in trouble, wasn't she? "Astrid... why have you been avoiding me so much lately?" he asked carefully, his tone dipping dangerously low.

Astrid tried to look as innocent as she could as she backed away. "H-Have I? I hadn't noticed..." she said, unable to stop the excited stutter or how her cheeks twitched with mirth. The way he was walking toward her made the tingling in her belly so much worse.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed, noticing the unmistakable mischievous look in her eyes, noting then the way she chewed on her bottom lip. That was her tic that let him know that, among other things, she was keeping something from him. "Liar. Yes, you have," he accused as he continued his prowl, intending on cornering her. "There's playing hard to get, Astrid, and then there's deliberately making me so hard I very nearly explode, ...and then running, leaving me in _agony_!" he growled, letting her know he was still clearly upset over that.

Astrid shivered hotly at the mention of that little incident. She was very careful not to back away from him too quickly, tried to not make it seem like she actually wanted to escape. She tried to remain calm as he began to close the distance between them, anticipation making her neck hairs stand on end, and tried not to run into anything this time.

"Running? Me? No way, it's your imagination," the axe-wielder quipped, attempting to look serious, though she wasn't able to keep the smile hidden for long. She took a few more steps away from him, shivering again at the intensity and single-mindedness in his steady approach, like a predator stalking his prey.

Hiccup could see the completely playful glint in her eyes now and knew well that she was at that moment keeping him at bay to mess with him. "Astrid..." he began with a warning tone, taking another few steps toward her. He watched her backing away but he knew she wasn't really trying to flee this time, that alone keeping him from feeling the need to close in on her quickly. If she wanted to play, he could play...

Astrid bit her lip again, knowing how frustrated he was but glad he wasn't being overbearing... yet. Just a little more pushing and he'd snap. "Yes, Hiccup?" she asked as innocently as she could manage, still backing away, keeping her distance from the _hungry beast_.

Hiccup regarded her a little, intense eyes searching hers and watched her fidget under his gaze. "I should ask you the same question. What's up with you lately? You haven't been showing much love and support for your future chief..." he said in a quiet voice again, his tone thankfully still leaning on the playful side.

Astrid smiled a little, still keeping up her act. "What can I say? Sometimes a girl needs her space..?" she suggested lamely, knowing it was a poorly thought excuse and shrugged casually.

Hiccup tilted his head slightly. "You've never needed your space this long before..." he murmured, now very close to her. Astrid let herself bump into the wall behind her, having no intention of squirming her way out of this. All traces of humor were gone from him now though, replaced by an odd mixture of lust and concern "Astrid... joking aside, does this have anything to do with your nightmares? With... that _vision_?"

Astrid was surprised by this, not having expected him to hit it on the nail so quickly. This was not what he had asked last time. "Yes," she admitted readily, knowing he deserved a proper explanation to her unfair treatment of him. "It... it had everything to do with it..." she mumbled.

Hiccup leaned a little closer to her, all but trapping her between him and the wall. "Astrid please, tell me about it?" he begged, gazing into her eyes with hope and rapt attention.

Astrid took a steady breath, trying to ignore what his proximity did to her. She thought about it for a second and decided she wasn't quite ready to tell him absolutely everything, afraid that by opening up like that she would become a mess... she didn't want to have to deal with that emotional baggage tonight. She wanted to explain herself to him though, so she would tell him what she could. "It was a lesson from... from the goddess Freyja to help me realize... well, my love for you," she told him. Hiccup lifted a curious brow then and she went on. "I wasn't ready to do that... I was forced to recognize feelings I denied and I was punished if I didn't," she admitted quietly.

Hiccup's eyes widened a little. "Punished? How?" How could she be punished within a vision? Mentally perhaps?

Astrid squirmed a little. What could she reveal to him without giving too much away? She did _not_ want to tell him what Freyja's method of punishments had entitled... well, not yet anyway. She could save those juicy details for another night. "Every time I denied it, I suffered. My control was taken from me and I felt paralyzed, feeling my willpower leave me and I could do nothing about it."

Hiccup frowned sadly. "That's terrible..."

Astrid shrugged a little dismissively, trying not to let the memories overwhelm her. "I had to face my deepest, scariest feelings and you know how I was at sixteen; I didn't want anything to do with girly emotions..." she mumbled. "To this day I still don't understand why the goddess decided to interact with _me_ that way but... but she made sure I learned those lessons."

Hiccup sighed and nodded. "I see..." he mumbled, feeling like he had a better idea now of why she had been so upset when she woke up that morning. It also sort of explained why she struggled so much with her dreams, not able to control the dark situations. It still didn't explain why she had so many and why they seemed to affect her so strongly though. "I guess I understand better why you've been acting so weird then. Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I couldn't tell you when you- when _we_ were younger because... because I wasn't sure what you felt for me and I was scared that what I experienced wouldn't happen again. What if I said something and something changed? Hiccup, in my vision, you were as you are now. Intense... experienced... persistent.. How could I, at that age, handle you and be expected to admit my feelings on top of it?" she told him with a little blush.

Hiccup blushed as well. "So... I was..?" he grinned a little.

Astrid took a shaky breath. "You didn't _do_ …much but..." she trailed off, feeling herself getting more and more flustered. Gods, even after three years and already spending them all with _this_ Hiccup, she still felt almost like a virgin when she thought how he completely wrecked her. "Uh anyway, you didn't know what was going on with me so like I said, you didn't do anything..." she explained lamely, hoping he wouldn't catch the lie this time.

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully, fortunately too busy trying to fit all the pieces together to really pay attention to any tics she had at the moment. "This sounds like a really complicated vision..." he trailed off with uncertainty, not convinced it was everything. He knew she wasn't telling him everything, but she _was_ opening up, so he didn't feel like he needed to pressure her about it for now.

Astrid didn't know what to say to that at the moment, so she simply went on instead. "I experienced good things too, you and I formed a bond in that-that _vision_. What I did to you recently, I... I was trying to get that back..." she told him quietly, unable to hold his gaze. "I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I was afraid you'd be upset with me for keeping it from you for so long..."

Hiccup reached for her and gently tugged her chin up to look at him. "Hey, I'm not upset," he assured her, sliding his hand over to cup her cheek, drawing his thumb across the rosy apple. "I'm glad you finally told me more about it..." he told her gently.

Astrid sagging in relief. "Thank you, for understanding" she sighed. They were silent for a little bit, both thinking about what Astrid had admitted about her vision. "You know..." she began with a weak smile, "-to be honest, even at sixteen, it was kind of hard keeping my hands off you and to not admit my feelings at the same time, it had been eating away at me," she explained.

Hiccup chuckled. "Well I can tell you, I don't mind the idea of you not being able to keep your hands off me," he winked. He relaxed a little then and moved in a little closer still, leaning toward her until Astrid let her head move to the side. Hiccup smiled and closed his eyes, letting his mouth rest against her soft skin, slowly kissing her. Astrid's own eyes shut with delight, her mouth open a little, drugged by the wonderful feel of his warm lips on her offered neck after so long. "I've missed you," he whispered against her, his hot breath setting her on fire.

It had been much too long since she last felt him and she hummed in agreement. "I missed you too," she sighed, shivering at the feel of his intoxicating heat around her.

Hiccup leaned a little further, his hands resting on either side of her then. "You've tortured me this month, you know that, right?" he moaned softly, one of his hands rested on her shoulder then, letting it trail down her arm. "Astrid, please," he begged her, whispering in her ear, moaning a little the way he knew she liked. "I need you," he whined. "It hurts..." he whimpered, then pulled away to give her his best pleading look. " _Please_ don't run away from me again..."

Astrid was still utterly dazed from his efforts to seduce her, and holy Thor did they work. Blinking to focus on him, fighting to get her senses back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. How could she possibly deny him? Why had she denied him for so long? It was crazy! "I won't run anymore, I promise. You have me, I'm yours," she told him breathlessly, watching him visibly slump in relief.

He moved in closer, pressing himself against her, sliding his knuckles slowly and lovingly down her cheek. Astrid slid a hand over his shirt, laying it against his heart and gave him an inviting look. His mouth was on hers in an instant, needy and insistent, tongue pillaging her, raiding her senses.

This kiss was every bit as hungry, every bit as impatient as she remembered it being, tendrils of desire shooting straight through her belly, burning her until she shook in his light grasp. Like before, he didn't settle for one kiss, but instead put all effort into dominating her mouth with lust-inducing effort.

Just as before though, she resisted kissing him back, if only to let him have his way.

After a moment, Hiccup pulled away. "You've been playing a dangerous game, Milady," he whispered against her lips with a little smile, remembering a different situation he had used these words in, though it had been in a completely different context, and when he was younger and... innocent. "Keeping distant like this is a bold move. Hardly touching me, not kissing me, for as long as this? Well played, I commend your resilience," he said, his tone in between impatience and teasing. "I ought to show you how that feels."

Astrid knew precisely what he was talking about, not in the context he remembered, but knew what he meant by dangerous and game. Astrid relaxed a little, having been a little tense since she walked in. She had half expected him to throw her down, strip her and fuck her until she couldn't walk anymore without even asking. Somehow, he seemed... he was calm because she had assured him she wouldn't try to run off, so he was easing into it.

Trying not to think too much about what he might be plotting, she lifted a challenging brow then, figuring she might as well play along. "Why don't you put your mutton where you mouth is?"

Hiccup, of course, couldn't let the unintentional innuendo slide. He leaned in until his breath was on her cheek, eyes half-lidded. "Or I could just put my mutton where _your_ mouth is?" All at once Astrid threw her head back, nearly smashing it against the wall as she erupted with laughter, her belly aching for entirely different reasons this time. "Too much?" Hiccup laughed lightly with her, placing his hands on her hips as he leaned in, nudging her head to the side again.

Astrid moved the way he wanted, exposing her neck to him, eyes shutting blissfully at the feel of his talented tongue pressing against her tender skin. "Gods yes... Hiccup, you're terrible at... talking dirty..." she said with a little groan, distracted slightly by his hungry, insistent mouth.

Hiccup hummed in amusement against her and she shivered at the vibration going down her throat. He took a hand then, and ran it gently down her neck. "Well then, it helps that I intend to... make it a reality," he whispered against her pulse-point, then pressed his bulge against her gently. He began to repeatedly rub his hand up and down her neck, to stimulate her, making her swallow, pressing a little harder against her, moaning softly in her ear.

Astrid's eyes widened and swallowed again, her throat now completely dry, instantly knowing exactly what he was doing, what he meant by that. His actions were so suggestive, his tone so lustful, so full of promise, that she couldn't hold back the moan of unashamed desire, shuddering hotly. Hiccup continued to rub, licking her neck slowly, taking her hand and pressing it against his bulge as he continued to sway against her.

Astrid shivered again, feeling his now very hard erection beneath his breaches. She quivered, panting slightly against the wall, unable to stop his actions from spurring tantalizing images in her head. "Remember that night? The first time you held off for too long and made me snap? What I had you do for me on your knees? Do you remember what I said to you?"

Astrid moaned in response, remembering well what he was talking about. She remembered one of the first times he had taken her like she had been trying to get him to do. She had teased him to throbbing frustration all day that day to try and get him to crack, and that night he had told her to make it up to him. Told her. Didn't ask. When she asked him how, he said one simple word.

Kneel.

Astrid moaned softly, remembering how he gently pushed her until she sunk down onto her knees before him. She remembered watching him pull his pants open, exposing his already raging erection. She remembered placing her hands on his bare thighs to steady herself. He had his hand at the back of her head in an instant, keeping her where she was, pulling her to him until she was taking him into her mouth, throbbing and hard. She remembered him rocking her into him, pumping his length in and out of her mouth, asking her to rub his tip.

She remembered the heated thrumming between her legs get so bad she had to pleasure herself as she sucked him off, spilling her arousal over her thighs as he moaned her name, his cock jerking slightly against her tongue. She remembered his fingers digging into her hair, grunting in pleasure as he thrust his hips harder, guiding her back and forth over his swollen meat, fucking her mouth until his hard release. Astrid swallowed again, remembering him keeping her tightly pressed to his hips as he let himself go down her throat, thick and hot. After that they had spent hours in bed, locked tight in a burning moaning frenzy until the early hours of the morning.

Astrid's eyes slid shut then and her head fell back, lips parted, feeling harsh shudders of desire pool angrily between her legs at her extremely arousing memories, at the suggestion he was making. "H-Hiccup..." she whined. Her nipples hardened painfully against her rough tunic, tight burning need over her now soaked sex making her moan breathlessly. She swallowed again as he continued to caress her, his body pressed close to her, making her whimper against the wall. Freyja almighty! Alright, maybe he wasn't so terrible at talking dirty.

Hiccup knew exactly where her mind was going, proud that his words and actions could take her back to one of their more intense nights. He smiled at the pleasing reaction from her, loving how he could inspire such strong lust within her. Once he had discovered this, that he could make her hot and bothered for him with a few choice words, the tone he used, some stimulation, or a well placed moan in her ear, he had taken advantage of it as often as he could. "I think I deserve some consolation, don't you agree?" he murmured against her neck playfully, finally pulling his hand away, settling it over her hip.

Oh gods, that was almost what he had said to her that night. Astrid was still panting, still dazed from her erotic memory. Wait, what were they just talking about? "F-For what?" Astrid asked, having difficulty remembering how to speak when he was stroking his tongue over her pulse-point, his hand now sliding over her breast through her shirt, his other playing patterns over her hip. He wasn't exactly making it easy for her to focus on anything other than what he was doing to her.

Hiccup growled against her neck. "You know what," he mumbled. Astrid avoided his gaze, trying to hide the amusement in her face. Hiccup huffed and slid his hands down her body, catching her attention again. He lifted a knowing brow. "You're doing this on purpose again, aren't you?" he accused.

Astrid bit her lip once again, refusing to answer him even as her eyes swam with impish delight. "You are! Oooh, that's it then. You're not making any excuses this time, you are _not_ getting out of it now," he warned her, pressing both his hands on either side of her, caging her against the wall.

Astrid shuddered lustfully at how aggressive his mannerisms became, and looked back over to him. "As I said. I am yours..." she told him, then reached up to caress his face, trying to calm his ire. "How can I make it up to you, Hiccup?" she asked, letting herself stay limp and submissive against the wall. "I am yours to do whatever you want with..." she said with a soft moan, aching so badly for him now that it was making it difficult to think.

Hiccup, tried to keep himself under control, his erection painful against his pants now. He wanted nothing more than to throw her to the ground and make her squeal... but he wanted to take his time. She would get a taste of her own medicine, and he didn't care how much she begged him, not this time. Hiccup let his hand slide up her neck, his fingers caressing her lips, gently opening her mouth. "Firstly... I want a repeat of that other night," he trailed off suggestively.

Astrid bit back a whimper of quivering desire. "As you wish..." she readily agreed.

Hiccup placed his hands on her arms then and swapped places with her, leaning against the wall and waited as patiently as he could get himself to. This time he didn't do anything, expecting her to do it for him. Astrid bit her lip to contain any more of her excited noises and let herself sink to her knees before him, prepared and willing to give him what he wanted.

The shield-maiden opened his pants, pulling them down to his ankles and watched him kick out of them. She bit her lip again when she saw how painfully tented he was in his covering, the thin fabric just barely being held together at that point. She took her time unwrapping him, much like she would a present on Snoggletoff. "Astrid," he all but growled and Astrid was surprised by the level of urgency and demand she heard. Shuddering again, she quickened her efforts.

When he was at last free, she looked up at him for instruction, figuring he wanted specific treatment tonight. Hiccup's eyes were black with lust as he put his hand out to her. Confused, Astrid slid her hand in his. Hiccup gave her hand fleeting and gentle squeeze, letting her feel his affection for her for a second, before placing it over his cock, panting softly. "Stroke me," he requested, his tone dripping with desire.

Astrid shivered a little and moved a little closer to him, letting his erection press against her still covered breasts. She wrapped her hand more firmly around him and began to slide it over him with practiced ease, up and down, feeling his body jerk each time.

Hiccup moaned softly, letting his head hit the wall behind him, letting himself lose his mind to the feeling. After a bit, he looked back down at her, eyes intense. "R-Rub it... the head..." he panted, reaching over and placing his hand on her cheek, lovingly swiping his thumb across her cheekbone as she worked him.

Astrid smiled affectionately and slid her thumb over his tip, pushing down just a little, using her other hand then to continue to run up and down the shaft. "Ugh..." Hiccup shuddered in pleasure. "Astrid..." he moaned urgently, leaning over a little, locking eyes with her. " S-Suck me..." he groaned out.

Astrid took a second to calm herself down and pulled away a little so it was easier to lean in, then opened her mouth and took his cock into her, sliding as much of him past her lips as she could handle, then pulled out, pressing her lips down, tightening them around him pleasurably. Hiccup moaned low and his breath came out hoarsely. Astrid felt heat pool between her legs as it always did when she pleasured him, using her tongue to help stroke him.

She continued to rub him with one hand as her head bobbed up and down, sucking him in each time she pulled up, trying not to whine in need as desire flooded her, feeling him hot and throbbing in her mouth, imagining him thrusting into her aching pussy instead. "A-Astrid..." the one-legged Viking moaned, his fingers tangling into her hair, tugging her a little, pulling her harder against his cock. "More..." he growled lustfully.

Astrid began to work him faster, leaning in further, trying not to notice how completely soaked she was from this, how much she ached, how if she just squeezed her legs a little she could feel the tormenting need. Hiccup began to thrust his hips then and Astrid struggled to keep up, held in place by his hands, hearing him grunting with each sharp thrust.

When he began to swell then, thick and hot, she knew he was close. Astrid slid her hand under him and caressed the rest of him, working both her hands and her mouth on him until he couldn't contain himself howled into the air, ejaculating hard down her throat. Astrid held still, enjoying the feel of his warmth a little longer. Hiccup let her pull her mouth away when he was good and finished.

When he finally calmed down, Hiccup pushed her back gently. Astrid watched where she knelt as he pulled his shirt off then, leaving him completely and gloriously naked before her, before then leveling her with a penetrating stare. Astrid tried not to squirm under it, knowing it would just make things worse on her body if she did. Before she could ask him what he wanted next, she watched him kneel and then felt him pick her up abruptly. Astrid squeaked slightly, surprised by the sudden lift.

Hiccup said nothing, simply carried her over the the bed, then carefully laid her down over it. He slid his legs over her, pulling himself completely over her then, his legs and hands positioned on either side of her, towering over her. "Remain still," he said softly. "Don't move. Don't try to help. Don't try to relieve yourself. You're not allowed to interfere and you will take what I give you. That's your punishment, agreed?" he announced, his tone a low rumble.

Astrid felt hot pleasure pulse through her at the dominant request, not missing the irony in it either. He had probably gotten the idea from what she had told him about not having control earlier... but he didn't know how much this reflected that first encounter for her. Astrid felt her breathing become difficult, only able to nod in acceptance, eagerly agreeing with his terms. Hiccup wanted her to sexually suffer in the same manner he had... Astrid wasn't sure whether to be nervous or bursting with excitement, so she settled for something in between.

Satisfied that she accepted his rules and wouldn't try to retaliate, Hiccup leaned back a little more comfortably and began to slide his hands over her body slowly, systematically peeling her clothes off as he did, eyes intently on her. Astrid shivered with every graze of his fingers across her heated skin, leaving little trails of goosebumps in their wake. Soon she found herself without her tunic or top covering, half exposed to him.

Hiccup never stopped, his hands burning her so nicely, especially with how long it had been without feeling them. As he explored her, Astrid felt like she was dying, choking, suffocating, needing him like she wanted to live, but she dutifully held herself back, resisted doing anything about it, keeping her word and taking it. This time Freyja wasn't there to paralyze her, so she had to put in the effort to not move. Astrid partially wished her goddess _would_ help her stay still now, finding it more difficult than she thought. Unfortunately, she was not so fortunate.

Hiccup took his time, leaning forward then, dipping down. Astrid sighed in pleasure, feeling his lips on her neck, kissing her as his hands worked their magic. His fingers trailed down then, his thumbs hooking under her skirt, pulling it and her leggings down, down until he slid them off her.

Fully exposed to him now, Astrid lay there as patiently as she could, her thighs shaking with anticipation, her throat dry, her arms bent and laying flat against the bed. She lay there in as submissive as manner as she would allow herself to, knowing he appreciated it when she let herself be vulnerable with him.

Hiccup's hands went back to exploring her, taking his sweet time, making up for so long without this. Astrid shuddered, feeling one of is hands cup her breast, thumb sliding over her already hard nipple, while the other crept downward again, slipping over her left inner thigh.

Astrid's chest heaved, overcome with eager anticipation as his hand between her thighs slid up a little, dipping down to touch her where she so desperately needed him to. Hiccup shifted a little, his eyes locking with hers as he pushed his fingers into her already sodden folds.

Astrid bit her lip hard to keep from protesting, feeling him being as methodical and deliberate as he could. His fingers curled a little, testing her tender flesh, slipping against her clit teasingly, swirling, driving her insane. "Hic... Hiccup..." she whimpered, biting her lip again hard to control herself. She shook beneath him, desperately trying to keep herself still. Every little touch was an agony, a monstrous struggle for her to hold herself together.

Hiccup smiled a little in approval. "Good, stay still" he murmured, pleased that she wasn't trying to take over, like he knew very well she so wanted. He knew Astrid hated losing control, so the fact she was being so good and not moving told him she was serious about making it up to him. Hiccup tried not to let his love for her show too much, needing to keep this as _business_ as he could for the moment.

Astrid couldn't stop herself from squirming, moaning urgently as she began to pulse angrily under his touch. " _Hnnng_..." she groaned, her eyes shutting tightly, knowing he was just getting started. Oh gods, why did he have to be so devastatingly good at this?

After a bit of torture, Hiccup leaned forward a little again, letting his tongue press hard on her pulse point again, feeling it quicken all the more. "I missed this," he hoarsely whispered, before slowly dragging his mouth up to nibble on her ear lobe. "This closeness," he went on, his lips trailing back over her jaw while his fingers pressed in a little more, drawing weak, continuous little moans from her. "I will show you how much you've driven me insane... we'll make it last... make up for lost time," he whispered promisingly against her ear.

Astrid could only let out a shaky whimper at his words. This time his fingers began to rhythmically rub her clit in tightly little circles, nearly undoing her then and there, but he was very careful not to let her. Astrid could barely recognize herself from the moans that escaped her then, so urgent, so breathless.

Hiccup moaned lustfully at the sounds she made, shuddering as his length burned with need... but he wanted her to suffer a little longer... even if it meant he suffered right along with her.

Just as it was before, it was becoming impossible to keep any coherent thoughts, impossible to stay still, not when he was invading her senses like that. With his other hand he continued to knead her breast with callous fingers, squeezing a harden nipple just so.

Explosive sexual yearning burst through her, deep inside her belly as he very efficiently brought her close to a so badly needed release. Astrid found herself writhing slightly beneath him when he held back, her wriggling just making it worse for her. Rivers of drugging ecstasy swelled inside her, gripping her nerves in an iron grip, making her lose her mind. She gritted her teeth, whining with the effort to not try to relieve herself, not ask him to do so for her, woefully accepting the wicked punishment.

After a bit more of this though, Astrid could only take so much, her eyes screwing shut, trying to keep her sanity in check. "Hi-ccup... I _need_..! Nng- _uuh_..!" she groaned out, gripping him tightly. Freyja! She had always taken his willingness to bend to her will for granted, but he was every bit as strong and unmovable when he wanted to be as she was.

Hiccup grinned in response and leaned over a little, taking her neglected other nipple into his mouth, letting his tongue drag over it. The feel of his teeth lightly grazing her nipple while his fingers tapped incessantly at her clit forced her body to pulse and spasm with an aching, meaningless orgasm. Nowhere near enough to let her feel relief. Astrid shrieked in frustration, could barely take any more. "H-Hiccup..!" she squealed again when he stopped rubbing. "I... ca- I can't...ta- _aake_ it-!"

"You can and you _will_ ," he told her firmly where his mouth rested against her breast, his tone almost as commanding as it was during drills. Damn did his commanding tone make her blood rush with desire so much harder! Unlike the last time, she was being deliberately submissive and had to fight her nature with everything she had to remain that way. It was both gnawingly irritating and horribly arousing, the result making her furiously lustful.

Assured she wouldn't try to rebel, he continued, sucking lightly on her nipple, swirling his fingers over her sopping wet he slid his two now completely wet fingers straight into her soaked pussy, wiggling them in as he did, biting her nipple very lightly, not enough to hurt her, but enough to drive her wild. Astrid yowled and nearly fell apart then and there, losing all control of her motor functions, rapid, little gasps escaping her with each drawing suck of his mouth on her breast, each wiggle and pump of his fingers.

Hiccup stilled once again, letting the tormentingly ravenous feeling he knew was filling her subside slowly once more. Astrid's hips bucked up harshly, not able to stop herself this time. Hiccup huffed in amusement, pretending to be annoyed, and pushed her back down, holding her still. "Be still, milady," he commanded.

Feeling him begin again, Astrid knew she was losing her mind. " _Nnng_ -no..!" she screeched bitterly, unable to help herself as he kept her pinned, his knees between her trembling legs to keep them apart.

" _Yes_..." Hiccup sighed pleasurably, shaking with the effort to keep from giving her the relief she so desperately needed. His fingers went back to work and she thrashed against him, nearly smashing her head against his with her violent responses. "Gods, babe, be careful!" He winced at the ferocity of her struggling. "Astrid, you know fighting it only makes you crazy, just relax and accept your punishment," he grinned, laughing softly at her dangerously narrowed eyes. Still she said nothing, bit back her prideful retaliation to him.

Astrid was in a frenzied state, going out of her mind. " _Hiccup_..!" she couldn't help moaning out. Hiccup merely smiled, wiggling his fingers again, keeping them away from her clit this time. Astrid clenched her teeth and panted, heart racing so fast it was making her dizzy. He brought her to the edge of orgasm again, forcing her to cry and flush hotly over his fingers, but kept her and himself still... again.

Astrid nearly felt a part of herself break, barred from relief once again, driving her insane. "N-No- _ooh_..! ... _Please_... Hic-hiccu- _uuh_..!" she shrieked when he started all over again, this time using his other hand to rub her clit as well, his mouth still clamped down firmly over her breast.

At this point there wasn't any part of her that didn't tremble. She cursed brokenly under her breath, unable to even arch up under his vice-like grip, making him smirk against her and making her fume. "H-Hiccup..! _Please_..!" she begged urgently, the need for relief like bony fingers dragging though her belly, pounding, insistent, constantly gnashing.

Hiccup snorted softly and to her extreme arousal and slight horror, he pulled away from her before she could feel relief again. He lifted himself away from her, watching her quaking form beneath him with interest, noting how her arms shook where they rested with the barely contained effort to hold herself back. Every now and then her body gave a hard shudder.

Hiccup wasn't finished with her yet.

"Turn around," he requested simply, leaning back onto his shins, waiting patiently.

Astrid shakily lifted herself up onto her elbows and it was then she noticed he was as rigid as a post again. She whimpered with unrequited urgency, gazing longing at him... but did as he asked, pushing herself over and sliding her legs back, positioning herself onto her hands and knees. She panted softly, throbbing so hard and so fast she might just go off if he touched her... which is why he didn't touch her like that again, simply rested one hand on her back, the other on her leg, keeping them spread apart.

Once he was sure she had calmed down enough for his liking, he lifted himself up, mounting her. Astrid struggled to stay still, struggled to keep from collapsing, trembling with anticipation so hard it was almost too much. She his hands slide over her body a little in appreciation and had to keep herself from begging again... though she knew that wouldn't last. She felt him then, his swollen length hot and eager, pushing into her very slowly.

Astrid panted harder, her thighs shuddering as he squeezed in, her eyes rolling slightly at the exquisite feeling of him spreading her dripping pussy wide open. "Oh my gods, Hiccup..." she moaned out raggedly, feeling him slide in as far as he could, feeling his belly press enticingly against her ass, feeling the heat of his chest against her back. He held still then, both of them adjusting to the amazing feeling of finally uniting after only the gods knew how long.

After a bit of relishing, Hiccup began to slide out, just as slowly, groaning hungrily as he did. Astrid's thighs quivered again, struggling to endure the erotic sensation, making her clit pulse aggressively. Hiccup took his time, very slowly thrusting in and out of her, knowing how insane it drove her, how wet it got her, how much it made her scrape at the bed beneath her, moaning and whining for more.

"Hiccup... Hiccup... too slo- _ooh_..!" she whined, crying in frustrated ardor, her thighs soaked with her arousal as he rocked her back and forth. "Please... please faster..." she moaned, her body was on fire and there was no way for her to soothe it. Hiccup made sure of that.

Hiccup didn't do as she asked this time, not like he had the last time they made love this way. Instead, he took his time, concentrating on his own need, rolling her tenderized body against him over and over. "Not my problem," he said with a little smirk, knowing that would piss her off. Astrid growled angrily as predicted, but gasped when he gave a sudden little jerk, bottoming out inside of her and distracting her.

"Hic... Hicu- _uuh_..." Astrid shuddered hard, nearly going off the edge with that little shove. Hiccup remained still again, reaching over her to keep her legs apart, caressing her inner thighs teasingly, a thumb just barely swiping over her rapidly pounding clit. Astrid bit her lip hard again, moaning hard through her teeth as that inspired rivulets of salacious desire to burst through her, making her drip with sweat and need helplessly where she knelt.

Hiccup started to move again, but this time his thrusts were a little harder, grunting and moaning with each one. Astrid nearly felt herself buckle onto the bed, far too overcome with desire to hold herself up. Fortunately Hiccup's hands were firm on her, keeping her up and keeping her still, keeping her trapped while he had his way.

Every now and then he stopped, waiting for her pleasure to wane away mercilessly. "Oh _gods_ , Hiccu- _uup_..!" she sobbed as pleasure made her gush wetly onto the bed beneath her again, feeling him begin to swell inside her. Not again... not again... she was _so very_ close...

Hiccup paid her no mind, grinding into her a little and releasing himself then, panting to stay quiet, shaking hard behind her as he forced himself to hold still. Astrid whined pitifully, feeling him ejaculate hot and thick inside her, so close to her own relief all over again, torturing her. "Please.. please... please..." she moaned incoherently, unable to get much more out, amazed at herself for sticking to her word for this long and hold still.

Hiccup kept still, his cock sitting heavy and deep inside her, ignoring her pleading and waiting until he was done, occasionally rubbing a nipple to keep her in a state of agonizing need. Hiccup hated making her suffer normally, but he wouldn't let her take advantage of him again. If she could do it, so could he.

When he was satisfied, he gently slid his hands over her hips and pushed her over onto her back, smiling at the shaking woman beneath him again. "Stay," he said simply, then slid his fingers over her again, starting all over again. Astrid bit back a sob of frustration, not sure how much continual and unresolved sexual tension she could take!

Hiccup rubbed her a little more, making sure to keep her wet and aroused. "Tell me... how do you like being so sexually frustrated that it eats you alive?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in question. Astrid could only get a helpless whimper out, her bottom lip trembling, her eyes so pleading it nearly made him falter. Hiccup went on though, trying not to be swayed by her. "Because that's what I felt. For _months_ ," he growled with irritation.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm sorry..! I'm sorry..!" Astrid apologized hopelessly, her one and only thought geared to desperately trying to get him to ease her suffering.

Hiccup lifted a brow at the desperation in her voice. "Are you?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Y-Yes! Yes! I am! I'm sorry!" she begged, writhing beneath him, part of her almost trying to shy away from his wicked touch.

Hiccup held her still, keeping her from escaping. "Will you do it again?" he asked with a tilt of his head, eyes searching her for any little twitch. Astrid opened her mouth to speak and promise she wouldn't... but then bit her lip, knowing that no... she _definitely_ would do similar again, probably not to this degree, but it was too much fun to get him riled up. Trying to hide her amusement, she looked away, trying to hide the grin.

Unfortunately, Hiccup noticed and growled with annoyance, moving his fingers back to her clit, rubbing her lightly and rapidly, very quickly bringing her to the edge again, until she was ripping at the bed beneath them and shrieking. Then he held back once more, keeping his hands firmly on her, holding her writhing form down. "Will you do it again?" he repeated, more sternly this time.

"I won't! I won't! N-Not like that! Not again!" Astrid squealed. "I-I won't make you w-wait this long again!"

"Hm..." Hiccup smiled, curling his fingers along her slit, pushing his thumb into her clit, getting her so worked up she didn't know what to do with herself.

"I... I- _uuuh_..!" repeated little shudders of pleasure rolled through her belly again, pooling between her legs, spurting hotly over his incessant fingers. "I promise! I w-won't... keep you- _ahh_... so frustrated like this... again.. I _swear_!" she groaned out. Hiccup nodded then, satisfied with her answer for now. Settled down more comfortably, securing her beneath him better, Hiccup took his time exploring her thighs and aching sex again, prepared to push her over. "Ple-ease..! Please, Hiccup!" Astrid managed to force out between moans.

Hiccup closed his eyes, lust clouding his thoughts again. "Anything for you, milady," he relented, then pulled away from her again.

Astrid whined in protest, jerking her head forward to see what he was doing. She watched in hungry anticipation as he crawled backward, then pulled her legs over his shoulders. Astrid gripped the bed beneath her hard, nearly making her lip bleed as she bit down. Hiccup's hands slid over her legs soothingly, much like they had the first time she experienced this with _that_ Hiccup. He smirked at her then, and Astrid's world exploded. His mouth was hot and his tongue wiggling its way against her clit, drawing howls and cries from her throat.

Hiccup pushed in a little further and sucked on her clit, slipping two of his fingers into her soaked center to help him. "Hiccup..! Hiccup..! _Hiccuuup_..!" Astrid was fortunately fast enough to shove her fist into her mouth as she screamed, her body surging off the bed as her pussy viciously locked down, forcing waves of unadulterated pleasure and crash destroy her senses. Hiccup kept her down, kept her from strangling him, from hurting herself as she writhed off the bed. He continued sucking and pumping into her until she finally began to relax.

When she calmed down from her brutal orgasm, he pulled away deciding to only give her one orgasm this way this time. He rested his hands on either side of her again, smiling down at her, watching her glazed over eyes slowly focus again. "The night's not quite over yet," his voice rumbled.

Astrid whimpered again, biting her lip hard and wincing when it hurt a little. Hiccup frowned in concern and leaned forward. Astrid eagerly lifted her head up to meet his lips, feeling his tongue very gently slide over her tender bottom lip, soothing the pain away.

Hiccup kissed her slowly, lovingly, pouring his deep adoration for her into it, letting her know that even though he was very upset with her, he still loved her deeply. Astrid relaxed into the kiss, losing herself into it, eagerly reconnecting with him on a level far deeper than a mere girlfriend and boyfriend. Astrid instinctively wrapped her legs around him when he tapped her thighs.

When he pulled away then, Astrid's eyes widened a little at the positively mischievous look in his eyes.

To her surprise, Hiccup took her wrists in just one of his hands, not at all surprising her with his dexterity, then pressed them down above her against the pillow. With a calculated look, a smirk tilting his lips up a little, his hips descended slowly and deliberately began to rub her again, his other hand holding onto his swollen shaft as he parted her folds with his bulbous tip, pushing just enough to rub up against her clit again and again.

"Hiccup..! Hiccup..!" she cried his name in a shrill, feeling herself rapidly reaching the edge again. But just as he had been doing all night, once again, he stopped. Astrid cried mournfully, but he ignored her and took his free hand and slid it to her belly then, holding her down, thumb curling over her clit to stimulate her further. "Noo..! _Please_..! Noo..! You bast...ard," she moaned, her entire world made of agonizing pleasure all over again, spurting hot and wet over his cock continuously bumping against her, going right back to tormenting her.

Hiccup panted just as lustfully above her, driving himself crazy doing this, making him wonder if he was secretly masochist when it came to her. "Astrid... I am going to ask you what I asked you the other day. You're going to answer me truthfully this time," the one-legged Viking began with a raised brow.

"W-What..? What..? What is it..?" Astrid struggled, her breath leaving her harshly and her body twisting slightly under his impressive hold.

"Tell me you want this. Tell me you want me. Tell me the only thing you will ever want is me inside of you..." He unapologetically pushed back against her again, not caring where his unguided cock rubbed her this time.

"Hiccup! Fuck me! Please!" Astrid all but shouted, and almost laughed at the deep blush that spread through his cheeks.

"Th-That's..." he cleaned his throat and scoffed. "That's not exactly what I want to _hear_..!" he nearly sang out mockingly.

"W-What? Yes it is..!" Astrid bit out.

His fingers went back to torment her, glistening with her wetness, helping him slide them back and forth over her quivering slit, rubbing her clit, squeezing in and out of her now and then. After a few minutes of Hel, Astrid had just about as much as she could take. Twisting in his grip, her eyes rolled back involuntarily as another flutter of pleasure tormented her body. "Hiccup Had-uuh..!" she strained against him, his flicking finger making her spurt all over again.

"Astrid, answer the question," he moaned out.

"I want this! I want you! You're... you- _uuhh_... y-you're the only thing I _ever ever_ want! Please! I need you inside me..!" she cried out, no longer keeping herself from admitting how much she needed this. He didn't even have to ask, Astrid could go her entire life with him deep inside her and she would be in Valhala every second of it. "Nng..! N-Now _please-_..!" she insisted, panting and wheezing, completely over the deliberate, delicious torment.

Hiccup moaned lustfully, nearly ejaculating then and there to the desperation in her voice. "As my lady requests," Hiccup grinned and finally moved, and Astrid's aching body greedily took in every delicious inch of his pulsing hardened meat again. As she arched up into him, pushing her breasts into his chest, Hiccup very nearly came again.

And then he began to thrust, hard and ravenously, jostling, bouncing her body with each rush inward. "A-A..Astrid..." he hissed, shuddering as she cried in howling exaltation. When Astrid's instincts to relieve herself became to much, she attempted to roll them over then, only for her lover to all but slam her back down. "No..!" Hiccup moaned throatily. "Pun...ishm-aah..!"

Astrid's vision blurred lustfully when his enthusiasm made his hip bone dig and scrape harder into her, forcing into her clit with each pounding, throbbing drive of his swollen shaft. She knew what he was trying to say and groaned in exasperation at her big mouth and stupid ideas... again. Why'd she have to go and let her guilt get to her? "F-Freyja..." she hissed when he settled deep within her and began grinding, but she didn't try to assert herself again. Instead, she lay there helpless and unbelievably drenched, soaking the bed beneath her as he began to swell inside her.

As the persistent, urgent friction rubbed her clit raw, Astrid wasn't able to stop her walls from giving, making her sob all over again as her completion took her hot and wetly, trapped in his hold. Hiccup went on without a hitch, aided by her arousal to slide in and out fluidly, losing his senses and began to rut against her like the animal she knew was locked inside him, and Freyja, was it glorious.

His hand still around her wrists nearly gave her a burn with how much she thrashed in his hold. His other hand lifted her hips a little more, angling her so he could drive more. No sound was able to escape her open mouth then, utterly lost to him. Hiccup cried out through his teeth then, finally releasing her wrists then so that he could grip her hips and plow her into the bed.

The intensity of his thrusts forced her to erupt, gushing hotly all around him once more, clamping down hard, making her find her voice again. Hiccup whined her name in ecstasy as he came with her, hands braced on either side of her, putting in all his effort into it, too far gone to wonder if he was being too rough.

Not even over her previous finish, Astrid was assaulted with yet another orgasm more aggressive than the previous, as though her body was viciously making up for earlier. "H-Hic _cup_..! Oh gods..! _Oh gods_..!" Astrid sobbed and squealed as she tightened viciously over his wildly plunging cock all over again, clenching hard and wetly, thighs tightening desperately around his hips.

Hiccup stilled abruptly then, towering over her, head bent slightly, sweat running down his temple, wet hair falling over his eyes. He moaned gutturally as he let himself flood her with his hot seed again, his body giving little shudders. Astrid gripped him tightly as his hips all but crushed her against the bed, trembling as she greedily took every bit of him in, until she felt him relax inside her. Hiccup collapsed over her then and they clung helplessly to each other, shaking and gasping for breath.

Yes, their times together after "fights" were definitely the best.

Once they had calmed down enough, wrapping themselves up in their arms, Astrid caressed his face lovingly, smiling when he leaned against her touch, his eyes filling with the same emotions she reflected with her entire being. Free to feel it now, Astrid nearly drowned in her love for him, heightened by the heady, hazy, explosive pleasure of fulfilling their so long awaited desires.

Hiccup rolled them over slightly so he wasn't crushing into her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. Astrid spoke lazily from her rightful spot on his chest then, blissfully sinking further into his arms. "I hope that... made up for all the... suffering..?" she asked.

"For the moment, yeah..." Hiccup hummed happily, pulling her closer to him. "But _not_ for the rest of the night..." he growled playfully against her ear, smiling when she shivered. "We are _far_ from done here, milady. Tonight _you're mine_..." he mumbled possessively, kissing the shell of her ear slowly.

Astrid swallowed with difficulty, shuddering pleasantly. "I am _always_ yours," she cooed lovingly, nuzzling against his cheek.

After a few content minutes of simply laying there, Astrid began to doze off. Normally they would carry right on after their first bout, but this night had been special to her, close to her heart, and the emotional baggage it carried, not to mention his inescapable warmth, lulled her to sleep. How many nights had she gone, yearning for this? How could she even blame her body for slumping in relief, flooded with the joy of finally being with him again.

So she began to fall asleep, cocooned and wrapped around her beloved. Of course... it didn't mean Hiccup wouldn't occasionally wake up needy and ready for more eventually, which, gods help her, she always welcomed... unless she was dead tired, though he usually knew not to push his luck. She just hoped he'd let her sleep a little more this time. That was wishful thinking in her part though. After torturing him for so long and making him wait over a month without any, that wouldn't be happening that night.

When she then felt his rapidly hardening arousal brushing up against her thigh again she blinked awake. She felt his warm lips on her neck then, his hot tongue brushing into her pulse-point, making her moan weakly. She felt his large, rough hands sliding over her body then, shifting a little and push her on her back again.

Astrid panted softly, feeling him tugging her legs apart again, and she knew it was going to be another long night and she would be hurting for a bit from this. There would be no denying him this night though... or many more to come after it.

Resigned to her fate, though a fate she _very much_ enjoyed, Astrid let him trap her beneath him again and eagerly parted her thighs for him once more, despite aching with a dull pain already. Astrid ignored the pain and welcomed his rigid, throbbing cock right back into her quivering folds.

Astrid panted with the effort to take him in, whining and moaned as he began to move, heedless to her aching, to continue on showing her how much she drove him insane, to sate his pent up desires, not letting up until he felt she had made it up to him... at least, not _that_ night.

The shield-maiden knew they would not be stopping any time soon, not after making him suffer like that this time. Astrid knew he would not go easy on her now, would probably barely give her a chance to recover that week either.

As Astrid shut her eyes tightly, pleasure surging through her all over again, her fingers gripped his back tightly with each hard lurch of his hips. She felt his mouth on her, leaving hot trails from her neck down to her breast bone and she knew she was hopelessly addicted to him.

She knew that even if it hurt, even if her body struggled to take him in over and over, it was temporary. Astrid would always give everything she had to him, readily and without question. How she went so long without him in the past was beyond her. Her heart, body and soul belonged to him and, even with the ache, she badly yearned for _this_ as well, and she _never_ wanted him to stop.

Sleep... and walking, was overrated anyway.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Astrid got a taste of her own medicine! Just what she deserved for making poor Hiccup suffer. If you look closely, you got a lemon within a smut chapter haha. Smutception! I hope this satisfied some of you, muahaha!_

 _I updated this quickly because most of it I had written up already in my outline. That and I was too eager to share my perverted mind lol! The next chapter will take a little longer to write though, but don't worry! It'll be posted sometime this week! Let me know what you thought of this, it's a huge encouragement!_

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **Guest(s)** : Lol oh yes, you know me quite well! I do so adore tension, haha. (2) No, I doubt it would be in his character to turn her down, but yeah, he certainly isn't going easy on her!_

 _ **Apollo 96** : Lol no, no she's not going to be okay._

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : I certainly hope so!_

 _ **LadyCoraa** : Who? Me? Lol. Impatient are we?_

 _ **wikelia** : I'm glad you anticipated it! I was hoping someone would!_

 _ **Rookie08B** : Haha no, you won't have to wait nearly that long this time!_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 ** _A/N:_** _This chapter was influenced by the song_ _"Withdrawal" by Max Frost._

* * *

The next morning, Astrid slowly woke up feeling as though she were drugged, definitely drowsy, like she had been given something laced with sleeping herbs. She lay there a moment, trying to adjust to the light and take a moment to herself for a breather. She knew why she was so tired of course. Hiccup hadn't stopped until just a few hours ago. She had thought he was insatiable before, but this was ridiculous.

Fortunately he had only sexually teased her a little bit more after that first time, just to make sure she hadn't forgotten how upset she had made him. No amount of begging had helped much last night, even though she could see in his eyes that it wasn't the greatest fun for him either. After she had sworn she wouldn't do that to him again though, he relieved her. After that though, it was nearly nonstop pounding with only short intervals to recover in between.

Astrid was surprised his bed hadn't buckled and collapsed under the abuse! She couldn't say that she wouldn't play hard to get with him again, as that was very fun, but she definitely would _not_ be doing this to him again, if nothing else than for her own sake and ability to function normally! A girl could only take so much, after all. But damn, did he have amazing stamina!

Feeling the need to stretch, Astrid attempted to move a little but ended up groaning herself awake as the soreness made itself known. Lying still again, she tried to recover a bit more and sighed to herself, knowing that he wasn't through with her yet. She knew she did this to herself, and should just resigned herself to it. Yeah, she could say no to him, she could even throw him off her if push literally came to shove, but that would be cruel and honestly she had outgrown being too rough with him, didn't need to hide behind violence anymore. Besides, Hiccup deserved everything he wanted...

Plus, it was _just so good_!

Astrid learned her lesson though, that was for sure. Normally they _didn't_ have sex _every_ night, so a week or two without any would only make them just a bit impatient, fixed usually with only one night, maybe two... but this time it was different. Over the past two months, which now that she thought of it was similar to how much the other Hiccup suffered, she hadn't just avoided him like the first time around. This time Astrid had intentionally teased him, frustrated him, made him ache with unresolved need for her with her attempts to work him up. She had _not_ intended to go so far though, and definitely hadn't intended to drive him _quite so_ crazy.

That's exactly what happened though. Astrid had inadvertently put all of her own frustrations into her efforts and made it worse. Now, because of her greedy, incessant need to re-experience that night, she would have to 'suffer' the consequences, she would have to let him have whatever he wanted for as long as she could take it. And yes... it might fill her with exasperation, but it also very much filled her with excitement.

Astrid tried to move again, batting away the ache and managed to stretch a little where she lay, her back pressed snugly against her lover. Unfortunately, the movement must have rubbed up against him and he began to stir. She felt his arm slide across her belly and pull her closer to him. "What's wrong..?" he mumbled half-asleep, having no doubt heard her slightly pained groan when she stretched.

Astrid sighed a little and tilted her head back a little to regard him. "Did you _have_ to be so merciless last night?" she asked him with a little pout.

Hiccup smiled at her attempt to be cute. "I'm sorry, Astrid," he said sleepily. "You know you like it when I take you like that..." he grinned.

Astrid grunted, half irritated, half amused. "Yes... I suppose I do, but I don't think you've ever _tormented_ me that much and for quite that long..." she mentioned, turning back to rest her head on the pillow.

Hiccup rubbed her arm a little but shrugged all the same. "You asked for it, Astrid. You didn't have to go so far, but you did," he reminded her.

Astrid groaned softly. "I know... I know... I'm sorry," she sighed.

Hiccup chuckled. "I _bet_ you are..." he teased.

Astrid smiled back and let herself relax a little, her eyes shutting and enjoying the feel of him simply pressing against her, rubbing her arm. She felt his arm snake around her then though, felt him press a little harder and groaned in exasperation again when she felt his rapidly growing erection brushing against her again. "Hiccup... _again_..?" she asked in breathless disbelief.

Hiccup only smiled against her, laying a soft kiss on her naked shoulder. He let his hand dip a little lower on her belly, sliding between her legs to cup her sex. Astrid couldn't stop the little whimper from escaping her, her heart racing again, her sore body immediately reacting to him again. "Hiccup, have you seriously not ever heard of the word 'rest' before?" she groaned.

Hiccup snickered behind her. "It's your fault for keeping me so hard for so long," he reminded her again. "You know how big of an appetite I have for you... and you have gone and made that worse. Now you have to deal with the consequences, milady," he told her. Since he was spooned behind her, he pushed his erection firmly against her ass in emphasis, letting her know he meant business. Yes he knew very well she could still beat him up, but he also knew she wouldn't.

Astrid groaned again, but even though she was sore and tired, she let him roll her onto her back once more.

Hiccup lifted himself up a bit and pushed his legs over her, straddling her again, and then began to slide his hands over her once more. Astrid bemoaned her situation... but she _had_ after all encouraged him to take her when he wanted her, hadn't she? All of this was her fault. Gods, but even after all of that last night, she still wanted him so very badly, could feel her body begin to thrum with barely suppressed need.

Unable to help herself, Astrid eagerly spread her legs for him again, letting him know she was receptive to him, simply not able to deny him.

Hiccup smiled affectionately, leaning down to kiss her softly in appreciation. Astrid relaxed into the kiss, allowing it to warm her as it always did. When he pulled away though... his eyes were downright impish. He settled himself more comfortably between her legs and very gentle drew his fingers along her hips, sliding them over her thighs and inching his way toward her center, spreading her legs a little wider for him. Astrid moaned a little, partially in pain and partially in anticipation, flinching slightly when he leaned in a little more to press his cock against her suggestively.

Hiccup noticed the flinch and immediately stilled, worry very nearly replacing the lust in his eyes. Almost. He leaned back away a bit and slid his hand between her legs, tenderly probing her, his eyes locked on her face, studying it for every wince, any flinch, and doing everything he could to soothe it away. Astrid panted slightly, feeling him caress her in such a tender way, dulling the ache away and letting pleasure begin to build, the pressure in her belly making her sex throb the more he touched her.

Hiccup took his time, stroking her until she began to squirm, until she became wet, until she was panting and moaning weakly beneath him. Astrid didn't think her body could take more after last night, but she felt it respond anyway, sharp coils of desire clamping tightly inside her, flooding her with need, spilling over her thighs.

Hiccup listened to her moaning more urgently now as he rubbed and knew he was good to go. "Is that better?" he asked, his tone dripping with desire, rubbing her now soaked sex rhythmically, giving her a gentle repeat of the previous night. Astrid could only moan in agreement and surprised him a little by wrapping her hands over his neck and tugging him down roughly to kiss her, shoving her tongue into his mouth. Hiccup groaned into the kiss, tilting his head a little to help him keep up with her devouring need for him. The kiss was hard and full of desire, tongues drowning out and mixing the moans between them.

When the one-legged Viking pulled from the kiss then, his eyes were back to being as black as volcanic rock. Unable to hold back any longer, he knelt over her, his hands pressing onto her hips, locking her legs tightly against him, then began to steadily press his swollen cock into her, spreading her open, moaning a little at how wetly and warmly her body welcomed him.

Astrid panted hard, arching back and whining as her body struggled to take him in again after so much. More and more he pushed, lost to it now, his own heavy breathing giving away to a low moan as he sheathed himself into her. Astrid whimpered again, her fingers gripping his back tighter, her body quivering hotly, aching in an intoxicating mixture of pain and pleasure as he filled her completely all over again.

Just before he was able to start moving however, they heard Fishleg's unmistakable screech of panic from outside.

Panting harshly with him still very deeply and heavily inside her, Astrid grasped him tighter and shoved him right off her body, making him topple over the side of the bed with a yelp of surprise. In that second, Astrid proved to both of them that she was still _very_ capable of tossing her boyfriend off her when she needed to. It was a testament to her devotion to him and willpower that she hadn't once used that force she had inside her with him last night.

Astrid dove off the bed, throwing herself to the side and almost crawling underneath it. Hiccup groaned from his position on the floor and lifted himself up carefully, hopping a little on his remaining leg, and gave her an incredulous stare. As he sat on the bed, ignoring his raging erection and grabbing his prosthetic, he mumbled to her in disbelief. "You don't have to be so dramatic, Astrid. Fishlegs won't just _barge_ up here... you probably don't have anything to worry about, you can get off the floor..." he suggested, trying not to smile in amusement.

"How would you know!?" Astrid hissed, scrambling to grab her clothes. "He sounds panicked!" she insisted, too full of adrenaline at that point to noticing the fiery painful throbbing between her legs as she struggled to put her clothes on quickly.

Hiccup shrugged a little, not actually able to dispute her there, she had a point. "You know this is _not_ over, right?" he warned her as he slid his pants back on. Astrid glanced over to her shirtless, still erect boyfriend and shuddered in renewed desire, the bite of pain soothed away for a second by intense appreciation at the wonderful sight she beheld. Astrid didn't respond, only able to blush and bite her lip, trying not to gawk lustfully at him

Astrid watched with curious interest as Hiccup attempted to make his erection less obvious, gripping his inner thighs and squeezing hard. Hiccup groaned in pain, doubling over slightly. Astrid's eyes widened, wondering if he had to use such painful methods to calm his body during those two months... now that she thought of it, he hadn't been erect when he had chased her into the clubhouse. That was crazy! "Hiccup..." she trailed off in concern.

"Later," Hiccup insisted, then when he wasn't quite so obvious anymore, turned to head down his stairs. Astrid remained in his room, listening from there as he asked Fishlegs what was wrong.

"We've spotted hostile sails headed this way on _massive_ ships, Hiccup!" Fishlegs said, panic coating his voice. "They're _black sails_!" he added.

"Okay, Fishlegs, go to the dome and wait. Give me a minute to get my armor on then I'll round everyone up and we'll talk about what we'll do, okay?" He told him, resisting from telling him to go get the others, knowing he would come back if he couldn't find Astrid anywhere. When Fishlegs agreed and rushed off, Hiccup lept up his stairs. "Astrid, there are hostiles headed toward Dragon's Edge," he began. Astrid cursed inwardly, knowing what that meant. The pirates were attacking! She had completely forgotten about this day! "Go get yourself geared up and meet us at the dome," he told her.

"Right," Astrid agreed, turning to leave him to put his own armor on.

"Wait," Hiccup's hand reached out to rest on her arm. "Astrid..." he mumbled, his voice full of concern.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, anxious to go get ready for battle.

"I... we... I was too... will you be okay out there..?" he asked, fidgeting slightly, his eyes a little downcast.

Astrid frowned in confusion but then realized he meant with how _sore_ she was. She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'm a Viking, Hiccup. I can take a little pain," she told him. Hiccup shifted a little again, worry and guilt clear in his eyes. Astrid's own eyes softened and she turned to face him, cupping his cheek and kissing him gently. "I'll be fine, I promise," she cooed, trying to soothe his fears for her safety away. She turned back and didn't let him stop her again, rushing out to her hut to get ready, ignoring the ache as she went.

When everyone made it to the dome, the ships were just starting to get into view, not close enough to start lobbing cannon balls, but close enough to make everyone nervous. Astrid carefully made her way to a few piled up crates, trying not to notice how Stormfly eyed her with concern... and not noticing that someone else was following her move.

Now, normally, Snotlout wasn't the observant type, but his crush and admiration toward Astrid had him often following her around with his eyes. He watched as the shield-maiden walked into the clubhouse with a look of dedicated concentration. It wasn't odd for her to have such a serious face, especially when she was training or in battle... but this time it was combined with an almost careful and tender stride, like she was nursing a wound. "Hey babe, what's with you? Pull a muscle? Because you know I work out too, I get those all the time! I could help with a massage if you want..." he winked suggestively.

Ordinarily Astrid would be gagging at his flirting, but this time her gaze shot to the shorter Viking with shock, trying not to let her eyes widen in horror in front of him, not needing him to become suspicious. She thought she was being stealthy and careful about it! If _he_ could tell she was in pain, and he was as clueless as they were, then Thor help her! She glanced back at the twins and saw them with identical curious brow lifts.

Blushing slightly she glanced back at Snotlout and scowled at him. "It's _nothing_ , mind your own _business_..." she told him with a snap, though probably a bit rougher than was necessary.

Snotlout snorted at the defensive response from her, successfully keeping the flinch out of his reaction to her biting attitude. "Fine! Maybe it's not a pulled muscle... hah, better yet, it seems to me it must be that time of the month for yo- _aiieee_!-" Snotlout screamed in panic and threw himself to the floor as a painfully familiar axe went hurtling toward him with deadly accuracy, just inches away from his head. "Nevermind!" he shouted, cowering on the floor. "I'm sorry!"

"What a mutton-head..." Fishlegs muttered under his breath, joined by amused laughter from the twins.

Astrid let out an irritated breath and shot a glower toward her boyfriend. Hiccup fortunately had the right sense to look sheepish and apologetic, smiling nervously at her. Even with that though, even if he was sorry for hurting her and careful with her at that moment, she knew he wouldn't just stop now. Hiccup had _no_ intention of letting her off the hook so easily and so quickly. Frustrated with everything at the moment, Astrid turned to the group in general. "We're here to discuss a _plan_ , so let's do _that_ ," she suggested with a bark, setting them straight in an instant.

Hiccup chose then to step up to try to get them focused again. "Astrid, _please_ save beheading him for a better time, okay?" he asked, ignoring the frightened gasp from his cousin and the growl from his girlfriend. "Alright gang, listen up, this isn't your typical outcast or bandit attack..."

"We know that, Hiccup!" Snotlout grumbled, still upset over almost losing his head.

"Yeah! They're even better! They're Pirates!" Tuffnut practically gushed.

"Mmm... cannons..." Ruffnut sighed dreamily.

"They _can't_ be pirates!" Snotlout bemoaned. "There _are no_ pirates in the archipelago!" he insisted firmly.

Fishlegs was quick to jump to correct him. "Black flags, white skulls, cannons, what more do you want, Snotlout?" he snapped, the stress making him nervous and tense. Near him Meatlug could sense her human's agitation and crooned softly to him, worried over the situation. "It's alright girl, we'll be okay," he murmured.

Hiccup stepped up to them, waving at them to settle down. "Regardless whether they're pirates or not, they're attacking our home!" he reminded them. "Here's what we're going to do. Tuff, Ruff, head up to the ballistas and fire-"

"Yes!" Tuffnut pumped his fist and shared an excited grin with his sister.

"-Fire are their _deck_ , not their sails..." Hiccup finished saying to them with an eye-roll. "Snotlout, Astrid, you two will help me flank them and take out their cannons. Fishlegs..." he trailed off, knowing he wouldn't like this.

"Please don't say distraction, please don't say distraction, please please don't say distraction!" Fishlegs begged fearfully.

Hiccup gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, Fishlegs. You'll be need to distract them long enough for us to take out their bigger guns. We'll be looking out for you, I promise," he told him, patting him on the shoulder. "Okay gang, to your dragons!" he commanded them and ran over to Toothless who was ready for battle. They boarded their dragons and took off, out of the small gap they had left open from the dome.

As they flew Stormfly crooned softly, noticing her stiffness. "It's alright, Stormfly," Astrid assured her as she settled a bit more comfortably onto her saddle. "Just my mate being too enthusiastic is all," she told her, and lifted a brow at the almost knowing snort from her dragon. Astrid wasn't really surprised, as every year their dragons left around Snoggletog to get busy... all except Toothless that is. Brushing the idly thoughts from her head, she focused on the task at hand, flying alongside Snotlout as they synchronized flight patterns.

They got into position, lining themselves on either of Hiccup's flank. "Get ready you guys, here they come!" he yelled and soon they were dodging musket-fire and cannon balls. Hiccup veered off to the right to avoid a cannon ball, distracted momentarily with thoughts of how he could get his hands on the designs for those interesting projectile weapons they used. Toothless snorted in irritation. "Sorry bud, okay, here we go!" he dove down, letting Toothless lay it on them.

Back on Dragon's Edge, Tuffnut and Ruffnut cried in gleeful excitement as they fired at the ships, the telescopic views on the massive crossbows allowing them to pick off the weapons held by the pirates. "H, this is awesome!" Tuffnut screamed in joy, firing wildly.

"Hiccup said not to hit the sails!" Ruffnut scolded her brother.

"Right, right," Tuffnut brushed her warning away.

Back in the air, Astrid rushed toward them diving and spinning rapidly with Stormfly, pulling out a few daggers to throw at their weapons, pinning them to the floor or clogging them and making them burst in their hands. As she flew on her dragon, she was completely focused, but eventually her efforts to attack pulled on her thighs, making her wince in pain and nearly slide off of Stormfly. Fortunately, she was fast enough and had enough training to quickly set herself back on task and push the pain away.

For the most part, Astrid's skills were on spot. Every suggestion and order Hiccup dished out she carried out without thought, driven by his strategic prowess, moving with her team with elegance, only breaking formation to help someone or protect Fishlegs as he distracted the pirates. Hiccup circled back then. "They're starting to break up, press the attack, gang! Make them flee!" he told them, diving down again to sweep over them with Toothless, making them scramble out of the way, spooking them.

"Astrid! Look out!" Snotlout shouted and had Hookfang fire at a cannon ball before it hit her.

Stormfly shrieked and backpedaled in the air, avoiding the explosion. "Thanks, Snotlout!" Astrid sighed in relief, earning a nod from her comrade. At least in battle, she could usually count on him to be serious. Stormfly shot Hookfang a grateful look, earning a fond look from him.

Hiccup grit his teeth in fury, enraged that they almost knocked his love out of the sky. "Come on, let's get these clowns out of our waters!" he snarled, inspiring his team to be more aggressive. Before long the pirates turned their ships around, deciding it wasn't worth any amount of valuables attacking dangerous Vikings that rode atop dragons. "Don't let up! Let's make them think twice before attacking us again!" Eventually the pirates fled as fast as their damaged ships could carry them, chased away for good.

A Zippleback with Tuffnut and Ruffnut flew over then. "Alright! Did you guys see that! That was so amazing!" Tuffnut gushed. They all broke out with excited chatter, going on about how unbelievable it was to actually head up against honest to the gods pirates.

"Guys we-" Hiccup tried to interrupted them. "We need to talk about-" he tried again but little success, feeling his neck bunching up with aggravation.

Astrid had been silent this time, surveying the waters around them, concerned about the possibility of them returning. It didn't happen last time... but with all the changes from what she had experienced, who knew? She noticed then how irritated Hiccup was becoming and how the others didn't seem to hear him. "Hey! Listen up!" she shouted, making them snap to attention.

Hiccup relaxed and smiled in appreciation toward his second in command. "Thanks Astrid," he said, then turned back to the others. "Good job guys," he told them. "Is everyone alright? Anyone hurt?" he asked, his eyes studying each of them, and lingering on Astrid.

"I'm fine," Astrid assured him, trying not to roll her eyes again at his over-protection. It was very sweet of him to be so thoughtful toward her, but also a bit of a pain sometimes. Astrid was most probably deadlier than he was in battle, at least in close-combat, but he still behaved like he had to protect her. Astrid knew it was an instinct, but it was still kind of annoying sometimes.

They each gave the okay and Hiccup nodded in satisfaction. "Good," he sighed in relief, ignoring Ruffnut's jab toward Tuffnut at becoming a single child and getting her hut to herself. "It looks like we have our work cut out for us this time," he then mentioned, his eyes evaluating the damage he could see from the air.

Predictable, Tuffnut and Ruffnut groaned in dismay. "Oh Thor! Please don't tell me you're about to suggest we _clean_?" the male twin asked woefully.

Hiccup's brow lifted and he crossed his arms. "That's _precisely_ what I'm suggesting," he deadpanned.

"No... come on! Cleaning sucks!" Ruffnut groaned.

Hiccup ignored them and asked them to split up into quick tasks to start clearing the area, picking up debris and cleaning up a bit before they started the real work. They spent a few more minutes on their dragons, using their help to remove broken support beams, readjusting them to help support walkways and combing the surrounding for salvageable wreckage. Astrid sighed wearily at the look of her home barely held together. "It's just as broken up as before..." she mumbled to herself. "It'd be nice if _some things_ changed," she scoffed.

"Astrid?"

Said axe-wielder jumped in surprise, not having noticed Toothless' approach. "Hiccup, what's up?" she asked, turning to him with a little effort.

"Could you come with me for a second?" he asked, directing Toothless off toward the beach below them. Knowing what Hiccup wanted to talk about, Astrid went with him without question, figuring she might as well get it over with and listen to his concerns. When they landed, Hiccup hopped off Toothless and walked over to her.

"Before you say anything, I want to stress to you how _alright_ I am, okay? You don't need to be so worried about me all the time," she told him firmly.

Hiccup shifted a little and smiled. "I'll always worry about you, Astrid, that's just the way it is," he shrugged.

Astrid rolled her eyes and sighed, smiling back just as warmly. "Well, I guess I can't blame you. It goes both ways," she told him. Satisfied that they were both okay, they split back up to finish up quickly. As they worked, Astrid knew by now that she wouldn't be able to keep Hiccup from sticking close to her, and tried her best to ignore him... but he wasn't making it easy for her. Just like he had last time, though perhaps a bit more aggressively, Hiccup took every opportunity to woo her, sliding his hands over her, smiling charmingly, giving her intense looks that let her know he was very much still wanting her.

Astrid huffed in frustration, knowing there was no way to avoid him this time, knowing romance wasn't exactly what he had in mind this time. Hiccup had every intention of keeping her thoughts on what he wanted to do to her, not letting her forget that she still had to make it up to him. Astrid tried to focus on the little bit of work they were currently all doing, finding it more difficult than it should have been as desire pulsed inside her loudly for her attention. The closer he got, the more he touched her, away from the eyes of the others, the more of a struggle it was for Astrid to not jump him.

Damn him!

Astrid knew for a fact that he was doing this on purpose, knew how attracted she was to him, how she ached for him, even with how often they were together. He was still clueless about his own level of attraction, but he knew enough about her to know what he needed to do to drive her mad with lust. Being the methodical and studious person he was, he used that bit of knowledge to his devastating advantage. She was helpless to his wiles, even if she acting uninterested or calm. Astrid shut her eyes, trying to not think about the previous night, trying not to let him get inside her head.

When they all met back at the clubhouse, after finally finishing up the bit of work before they really got started, Hiccup turned to them and nodded in appreciation at their efforts, even if they complained. "Alright, a bit later we'll start cleaning up the bigger areas around the base, clear out the most damaged location so we don't have to trip over debris while reconstructing," he told them.

"Aww... come on..." Tuffnut whined. "Haven't we suffered enough!? H! Be reasonable! Have mercy on your poor, overworked subjects!" he begged, crawling on his knees toward their leader.

"Knock it off, Tuffnut," Astrid said simply.

"You! You're just as bad as he is!" Tuffnut pointed an accusing finger at her.

Annoyed by them always complaining whenever they had to clean something she tried a different tactic. "Do you really want to leave your home falling to pieces? Having it crash around you? Falling through a hole in the floor as you sleep?" she asked with a raised brow.

Tuffnut thought for a moment, tapping his chin. Ruffnut smirked and shrugged. "Is that a trick question?" she asked, deliberately trying to rile her friend up. As she knew she would, Astrid's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Before Astrid could bite her head off, Hiccup jumped in again. "Just check to see how bad the damage is for now, alright? Take some parchment and write it down, you don't have to do any cleaning for now," he told them. "We can take a bit of rest from the attacks before we get to work, alright? Sound fair?" he asked, receiving grumbles but little complaint this time. As they dispersed, Hiccup asked Astrid to wait a moment. The shield-maiden turned slowly toward him, wondering what he was up to, but didn't notice any nefarious intentions in his eyes.

"What's up?" she asked curiously, keeping an eye on his hands. Those deadly, sexy hands of his. When she noticed the thoughtful look in his eyes, she jumped to a conclusion, probably the wrong one, but she had to make sure. "Hiccup, you better not ask if I'm okay again..." she warned him, pointing a finger at him.

Hiccup threw his hands up in defense. "I promise I was not going to ask again," he insisted. "Actually, I wanted to know if you'd help me test out a new compass I had been working on last week." When he saw her frowned curiously and place her hands on his hips, he went on. "We could use the time to also make sure the pirates have truly gone?" he said, trying to coax her to go with him.

Astrid thought about it, wondering if things would stay as innocent with him this time, then thought of something else. "What about repairing Dragon's Edge? Isn't that a higher priority?" she asked. Normally Hiccup wouldn't let something as important as the disrepair of their home get in the way.

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "It is, yes, but it can wait a little bit," he said.

Astrid eyed him curiously. "That's not like you, Hiccup. You wouldn't usually let something as important as this stay unattended to?"

Hiccup shuffled a little. "Yes, you're right... but... but you are far more important to me," he said softly, reaching up to cup her cheek, caressing her tenderly. Astrid felt her heart melt to his honeyed words, leaning into his gentle touch. "I missed you far too much to just let this opportunity to spend some time with you slip by," he insisted. "I'd like to do this before things got too distracting for us with reconstruction," he said, nearly begging her, his eyes pleading.

Astrid snorted softly in amusement at herself, wondering why she was even trying to deny his sweet request. Not even thinking about any ulterior motives he might have, Astrid readily agreed, just as eager to spend more time with him. "I'd love to, Hiccup," she said, this time not needing to ask him to have the others go with them, no longer needing that emotional barrier.

Hiccup's shoulders visibly relaxed and a look of relief crossed his face. "Thank you, Astrid," he sighed happily.

Astrid smiled, unable to keep the love for him from reaching her eyes, then turned toward her dragon, noticing Stormfly and Toothless in what looked like a spirited conversation. "Hey, Stormfly?" she began, instantly grabbing her attention. The Deadly Nadder padded over to her, nuzzling her snout into her hand in greeting while Toothless walked back over to his human. "Would it be okay if I went on a short trip with just the boys here?" she asked her. In reply, to their surprise, Stormfly nudged Astrid toward Hiccup, as though also thinking she needed to spend time with him.

"Looks like Stormfly's on my side," Hiccup chuckled, earning a fond shake of her head from his girlfriend.

Stormfly walked over to Toothless, bumping her head with his and nuzzling his cheek, trilling softly at him, asking him to take care of her human. Toothless crooned back kindly, assuring her that her human's mate was in good wings. Hiccup and Astrid watched them in amused and fond interest.

When they were satisfied, Hiccup hopped back onto his patient dragon and offers his hands to the axe-wielder. Astrid smiled at him and accepted the hand, letting him pull her up and settling her in front of him on the saddle. Astrid waved at Stormfly and then they took off, Toothless flying smoothly and coasting gently, much like he had on their first flight.

Astrid let herself melt into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, sighing blissfully at the soothing, intoxicating warmth. Hiccup nudged her head a little and Astrid let it fall to the side, her eyes shutting as Hiccup placed tender kisses over her neck and shoulder, anywhere he could get to that wasn't covered. Astrid slid her hands over his arms around her, caressing him, nuzzling into him and simply basking in the purity that was her devotion to him.

Hiccup slid his tongue over her jugular then, pressing it down and feeling it begin to pick up speed. Astrid sighed in pleasure, feeling his lips wrap around her pulse point, teeth just barely pressing down. Hiccup's hands slid over her belly, taking the opportunity and the angle to try to entice her. One of his hands slid up to the swell of her breasts, his thumb brushing over a nipple teasingly. His other hand slid down, resting over her right inner thigh, squeezing just a little. Astrid moaned softly, feeling her body tingle with pleasure.

To Hiccup's surprise, Astrid pulled from his embrace, only to maneuver herself around on the saddle, slipping her legs over his to straddle his hips where they sat. Toothless snorted in warning at them to not get carried away on him, but they didn't seem to hear him, making him growl with irritation.

Heedless to the dragon's annoyance, Astrid wrapped her arms around Hiccup's neck and slid herself on him alluringly, not even caring how much she ached in pain at this point, too lost in her desire for him to notice it as she ground herself on him a little, sliding her tongue into his waiting mouth. Their kiss was hungry, drawing moans from them. They got over-eager, moving a little faster, a little harder... and didn't notice that they were slipping off the edge. With their enthusiasm, they hadn't noticed that Hiccup's straps had become lose.

Their eyes snapped open and they yelped in terror when they found themselves sliding right off of the saddle. "Oh no!" Hiccup cried, not even having his latest flightsuit prototype this time. "Toothless!" he screeched. Fortunately, Toothless had been keeping an eye on them and noticed them slipping, catching them by their shoulders as they fell. Toothless was falling as well, but they were all close enough to each other for Hiccup to get them back in control. Toothless roared at them and stopped flying, staying in position, growling angrily at them.

"Sorry, Toothless!" Astrid blushed.

"Yeah, we're sorry, bud," Hiccup agreed, scratching at the dragon to try to appease him. "We'll behave, I promise," he said. Toothless snorted in irritation at their recklessness, but continued flying again. "We better actually do what we came out here to do..." Hiccup said with a sigh of relief, sobering up. They kept their word and their hands to themselves, finished up testing the compass and checked for signs of the pirates while they were out there. When they were satisfied that they had long gone, they flew back.

When they returned to the clubhouse, they found their friends gathered there already, lounging and eating lunch. Stormfly walked over and Toothless grunted in irritation, communicating to her how annoyed the two human alphas got him. Stormfly snorted in amusement, earning a fond eye-roll from the male dragon.

"Hey! Where've you two been?" Fishlegs asked curiously, lounging on a chair with Meatlug loyally at his side.

Wasting no time and using the truth as a convenient excuse, Hiccup answered smoothly. "We went out to make sure the pirated were long gone," he said simply.

"Oh yeah?" Tuffnut began with a little smirk. "Why'd Astrid leave Stormfly behind then? Huh? Huh!?"

Astrid snorted and crossed her arms. "We all know it'd be the wisest course of action to take only one dragon and the fastest, minimize chances of being spotted and help slip away quicker if there was trouble, of course!" she told him succinctly. Tuffnut pursed his lips thoughtfully then shrugged, agreeing with her explanation in the end.

"Alright, anyway, let's eat a good lunch and get back to work. Tomorrow the real cleaning starts, so I want everyone to do as much as they can today and then wake up bright and early, have a big breakfast, and meet at the clubhouse for instructions," Hiccup announced, once again earning varied responses from his team.

"Big breakfast, can do!" Fishlegs grinned.

They had their lunch and then split up to work once again. As the day drew on, Astrid was glad she was getting a small breather from her boyfriend, noticing him working off somewhere else for a moment. Fortunately a lot of tasks for now didn't require too much out of her body, so she was able to rest a little. They spent a lot of the time continuing to clear up debris and put up temporary supports for unstable sections.

That night everyone was too tired for anything else. They sat around the hearth, talking in subdued tones, relaxing from the hard day's work. Even so, Astrid felt Hiccup's eyes following her every move again and knew he was back to reminding her she wouldn't be able to escape him for long. Later on, Hiccup followed her to her hut quietly when everyone else went off. Astrid chewed on her lip as they made their way, wondering if she should try to ask him for a break for tonight. She wanted him, but she didn't think she could take another night like the previous again.

The gods must have been smiling down at her because when they got to her door, tucked away enough to not be in the view of the rest of the base, the overwhelming male didn't ask her to let him have her again, he merely smiled lovingly and took her cheeks in his hands gently, kissing her softly. Astrid relaxed into the kiss, letting it soothe her anxiety away, falling into his arms when he wrapped them around her.

Hiccup wouldn't let her be totally at ease however, he still needed to show her he was serious, so as they kissed, he let his hands begin to wander. Astrid felt herself get pressed against the wall by her door, feeling his hands slip from around her to glide down her body. She felt her heart gallop in her chest again, noticing one of his hands slipping under her skirt and leggings, toying with her covering. Hiccup brushed his hand along her thighs, pushing his fingers under her binding to play with her a little.

Astrid's grip on him tightened, her legs shaking a little as pleasure began to build inside her. Hiccup nudged her legs further apart, sliding his hand fully under her binding then, sliding fingers between her quivering folds. Finding the source of her torment, he teased it, rubbing back and forth, making her break from the kiss, her head hanging, moaning softly. Hiccup smiled, resting his head against hers, rubbing her until she could barely hold herself up, feeling his fingers become more and more wet. When he was sure she was about to reach her end, he pulled away abruptly.

Astrid's head whipped up to give him a look of anguish. Hiccup took his time then to deliberately lick his fingers in front of her, erotically and mercilessly stimulating her further. Astrid bit her lip hard as she watched him, bracing herself on the wall to keep her knees from buckling. For fuck's sake, how could one man be so unbelievably and devilishly arousing?

When he was done, licking his lips, he grinned at her. "Rest well, milady. Enjoy your one night of freedom. I'm coming back for you tomorrow..." he winked.

Astrid shuddered hard at the sexy threat, unresolved need howling between her legs, making her have to hold back a moan of deep appreciation, and settled for scowling deeply at him, pretending to be more annoyed than she was. She had a reputation to keep, after all. Hiccup merely smiled at the glare and walked off, very much like she had been doing to him for months.

Astrid went inside and sighed in both relief and horrible frustration. She was of course thankful that he was being merciful and giving her a night to recover, but she was also incredible irritated that he had left her in such a painful state of need. She knew she had it coming though, she deserved it and knew he had every right to pay her back like this.

That didn't stop her from being extremely annoyed though. Trying to ignore the continuous throbbing of unresolved desire, Astrid went on with her nightly routine, stripping down, grooming herself, washing up, then slipping into bed.

As she lay there, the shield-maiden noticed that her ache for Hiccup hadn't dulled in the slightest, still as heightened as it had been when he was touching her. She screwed her eyes shut, trying to ignore it, but knew she wouldn't be able to. She had no right to be angry with him though. Besides, she'd feel relief soon enough, might as well enjoy the reprieve.

Astrid knew she couldn't say no to him for a week this time. It would be unfair to him, even if she was sore. She could handle it. At least tonight he was giving her a break, so she would greedily take it, even if she had to endure a little suffering.

Her body would not let her forget however, and her mind cruelly joined in, replaying that previous night in her head. Before long Astrid found herself moaning into her pillow, exasperated by how much she ached for him, even now, even as sore as she was! All she had to do was crawl into his bed and he would jump at the opportunity to have her again.

Her mind when back and forth between wanting him and knowing she needed the rest. She knew he wouldn't give her another chance for a while so she had to take it! Astrid idly wondered if she was developing a condition or something. How could she be so addicted to him? She almost felt like she was going through a withdrawal!

Astrid fell into fitful sleep that night, her mind full of Hiccup Haddock, as it always was.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** Hiccup isn't being nice this time around... nope, she's going to pay the price! Since so many of you asked for it, I added in that bit with Snotlout. I hope you enjoyed it! No, he won't be finding out about them so please don't ask. This story is supposed to mirror Thor Help Her, so if it didn't happen then, it won't happen now. One day I might write a story and have him discover them, but not this time._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **kirbster676** : She certainly tried to stay out of sight, but Hiccup didn't let her, hehe. At least he gave her a break!_

 _ **HeartAngel1796** : Hey I don't blame you, it's hot stuff! Yeah, but I also love tension lol, as you can tell from this chapter... no worries, there will be lots of smut coming up! No pun intended, really._

 _ **LianaH** : Aww, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying them so far!_

 _ **Rookie08B** : I did too!_

 _ **JDY** : Thank you, but I don't think that will happen... I might write a bonus chapter, but I don't really have much intention of deviating from Thor Help Her's plotline too much._

 _ **ShipMistress** : Thank you! I try! :)_

 _ **harrypanther** : I'm so glad you were able to see how the stories tied together! I'm trying very hard to parallel them. Thanks again!_

 _ **SecretShipper04** : I agree, I also absolutely LOVED the last three episodes and sooo looking forward to the next couple season. Unfortunately, no my story won't be tying in on them. Not this story. Maybe I'll write another HTTYD story and have tie-ins. Who knows?_

 _ **RedLegoManiac** : You were right!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : Thanks! I figured Hiccup would be intense that night, so I'm glad I pulled it off. Astrid strikes me as the type to be tough and dominant in normal circumstances, but secretly had a weak spot for letting go and being vulnerable with the person she loves. I don't think it's the best smut ever but thank you for saying so!_

 _ **wikelia** : Aww, thank you! I don't think I deserve it, but I appreciate your praise! Yes my smut is definitely NSFW lol._


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to How To Train Your Dragon.

 _ **A/N:**_ _This chapter was influenced by the song "Bombay" by Timbaland._

* * *

The next morning, much like she had been before, and for nearly identical reasons, Astrid Hofferson was _not_ a happy camper.

Hiccup had given her that night to rest and _recover_ , but he might as well have been there with the little she had been able to actually sleep!

Astrid woke up that morning with a weak, frustrated moan. Her dreams had been full of erotic memories of her intimate moments with Hiccup, specifically the previous night's, and then on top of that, fantasies of even more. It was as though her mind had teamed up with Hiccup in their efforts to sexually frustrate the living Helheim out of her. Even now, even bleary-eyed and irritated, she felt herself parched for him, a thirst that dwelled deep inside her and could only be quenched with his arms around her, with him deep inside her.

How could it be that the more she _had_ him, the more she _wanted_ him?

Brushing that aside, lest she never get anything done that day, Astrid lay there a moment, trying to reorganize her mind, trying to remember if aside from repairing Dragon's Edge, there was anything significant happening that she was forgetting. She didn't want another repeat of that other day... that had been horrible. Most of the time there was a trigger though, a warning, but the only thing she felt at the moment, aside from the exhaust and irritating need, was that odd sort of displacement she had come to recognize as an echo of her younger self.

She knew that maybe that weird feeling should worry her, but it didn't. She didn't always have that sensation, but sometimes, when something important was happening, like when she first 'caught up', it was obnoxious and distracting. Otherwise, that feeling was like a subtle drone in the background. Astrid was sure that if it wasn't something she was supposed to sense, her goddess wouldn't let her feel it. So she dealt with it and only hoped it would go away when she got past all this.

Astrid sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to get any more sleep with her thoughts as active as they now where. Instead, the shield-maiden decided that today she had more important things to focus on than her self inflicted dilemma with her over-amorous lover. Like, for example, repairing the brutally assaulted Dragon's Edge. Cannons littered the base, and while that was a field day for Fishlegs and Hiccup, with the potential to melt them down for the good quality iron and make weapons and tools out of them, aside from that it was still a gigantic mess.

Today was one of those days that Astrid remembered well. She hadn't remembered the pirate attack because of how often she and her friends were in some kind of battle, they tended to blend together. She did however remember the repairing because it wasn't often she had to do construction work, not since dragons stopped decimating Berk.

Setting her mind to that, Astrid pushed her fatigue aside and got out of bed. She went about grooming herself, making sure her braids were all perfect, and putting her armor back on. When she turned to head down her stairs, she jumped in surprise to find Hiccup walking in. Hiccup nearly flinched reflexively at her little start, almost expecting her axe to show up, pointed at his face, even though she stopped doing that long ago. "Sorry, didn't meant to sneak up on you," he apologized.

Unable to help herself, Astrid gave him a quick once-over, always pleased to see him when she woke up, with or without clothes on. She waved his apology off then. "It's fine. So, what's up Hiccup..?" She asked cautiously, wondering what he was up to. He couldn't want... and now? Could he? Then again, she wouldn't put it past him.

Hiccup smiled knowingly, as though knowing just where her mind was going. "I'm here just to say hi and check up on you, nothing more," he assured her with a little glint in his eyes.

Astrid narrowed her eyes, knowing that he knew she suspected him of wanting nothing more than to slip between her legs. He was just messing with her head now! She eyed him suspiciously all the same. "Oh, is that so?" she teased.

"Yes ma'am, I would never lie to you," Hiccup beamed, almost bouncing on his heels.

Astrid snorted lightly, not because she didn't believe him, but because of how enigmatic and energetic he was being. He had something up his sleeve, but he wasn't letting any of his cards show... which was odd considering how terrible a liar he was. Then she noticed something that only further proved her suspicions. "So is that mug for me?" she asked knowingly. Hiccup made her moon tea pretty often, but it was usually in anticipation of getting some.

Hiccup merely grinned and offered her the familiar steaming cup of tea. "That it is, milady," he replied, his tone more chipper than it probably had any right to be.

Yep, he was plotting something.

And probably something that would have her _howling_ deep into the night.

Astrid subtly shook her head to clear it of dirty thoughts and regarded him with amusement, then took the proffered mug, sitting down at her little table by her window to sip on it. She let it soothe and comfort her like it usually did, smiling into the mug when she tasted the honey Hiccup took the pains to find and add to it. Honey was a prized commodity, difficult to find and only a select few collected and harvested it from apiaries. There were no bee keepers on Dragon's Edge, and they hadn't gotten any on their last supply run, so it meant that Hiccup had gone out of his way to find bees and collect honey himself. Little acts of affection like this was what made it impossible for Astrid not to be perpetually swayed by him.

Smiling at him in appreciation for a second, she settled in and enjoyed her tea. It was a little ironic that the moon tea served to calm her down, considering its purpose was so that she and Hiccup could have copious amounts of worryless sex and so that he wouldn't have to worry about how often he had her... quite the opposite of _tranquility_ really. Astrid had been anxious since last night, the tension she felt in her and need for him an almost consistent pulse through her veins, but now at least she felt much more relaxed.

Astrid took a few more minutes to enjoy the tea, but realized then that he had been very quiet the entire time. Glancing up at him again, she noticed him leaning casually against her table, just a few breaths away from her, his arms crossed and was simply watching her intently. The look he was giving her was downright smoldering, but he didn't move an inch, nor did he hide the fact that he was eying her like a piece of sugar-coated candied fruit. "Can I help you with something?" The axe-wielder drawled playfully, trying not to let his intense gaze get to her.

Hiccup merely smiled for a second, then shrugged. "Just you wait..." he grinned suggestively.

Astrid felt a deep shiver of thrill rush through her to settle enticingly between her legs, but she put on the show of scowling at him. "Is _that_ the _only_ thing you ever think of?" she asked with barely concealed amusement.

Hiccup's brow lifted a little incredulously, giving her his best 'are you kidding me?' expression. "For the next couple weeks, pretty much, _yeah_ ," he deadpanned.

Astrid again put on a big act of being annoyed and groaning, but also reluctantly accepting her lot in life to be his play thing, at least temporarily. It was all for show though since though they both knew well that they loved spending every possibly second together and that screaming in pleasure was something she would never _ever_ be annoyed by. "Fine, whatever, Haddock," she scoffed playfully, finishing up her tea.

Hiccup smiled and offered her his hand. Astrid took it without thought and smiled softly when he squeezed it a little. They made their way out then, only letting go of each others hands when they stepped outside. They found Toothless and Stormfly waiting for them and smiled at the hungry dragons. "Come on, let's feed these big babies before they get cranky," Hiccup suggested, earning an indignant huff from Toothless and an offended trill from Stormfly.

"Oh stop. You know you are!" Astrid teased her beloved Nadder, giving her chin a good scratch to bypass the grumpiness.

They got on their dragons and took a few minutes to dive into the waters and let them catch fish. Fortunately it was still very early in the morning so they didn't expect the others to be waiting impatiently for them, if they were even awake yet. As the two humans and the two dragons finally made their way toward the clubhouse, they made sure to note what needed work the most. Knowing it would be there, Astrid stalled them and pointed to the hole near the support beam under Hiccup's hut. "You might want to take care of that soon," she suggested.

Hiccup nodded, glancing around the area at the wreckage, his calculating eyes measuring what would need to be prioritized. "Thanks, I'll handle that after we meet up with the others." They continued on their way and Astrid inwardly sighed again at how utterly the place was damaged. At least they all knew how to do construction work and could fix their home relatively quickly!

When they got to the clubhouse, they noticed their friends there already after all, though most of them were passed out as expected. The twins were sitting back to back on the floor, dozing, and Snotlout's head was face-planted against the table around the hearth. Fishlegs also look tired, but he and Meatlug were eating, so at least they were getting food energy.

"Rise and shine you guys!" Hiccup called out cheerfully, waking those asleep with a start and earning groans from them.

"The sun is barely up, Hiccup... _why_ must you _do_ this to us?" Snotlout whined where his head still rested.

Hiccup crossed his arms. "Do you _really_ want an answer to that?"

Snotlout snorted. "No. I'd rather skip the lecture this early in the morning..." he grumbled.

Astrid hid her smile behind her mug she had taken with her. She had already drained it of tea, but it was still useful for situations like this. Sometimes she didn't think any of them realized how much they acted like a family unit, with Hiccup as their suffering father. Of course, Astrid didn't realize at the moment that she was in a way the mother of that scenario. The twins had mentioned them as mom and dad before, but she hadn't even thought to make the connection.

Hiccup pressed his hands together then. "So! Today we get down to the real repair work!" he said eagerly, always excited to work with his hands. He once again received various degrees of complaint and rubbed his face with his hand in exasperation.

Tuffnut crawled over to him on his knees, hands together in a pleading manner. "Oh _please_ don't make your over worked subjects toil and labor for your _whims_! Have _mercy_ on us, sir!"

Ruffnut likewise made a show of slapping the back of her hand to her forehead and leaning away dramatically, other arm stretched out. "I'm not sure how much more I can _take_! It is simply _too much_!" she cried.

By this point they all knew they were being theatrical and complaining on purpose, trying to rile either Astrid or Hiccup up for kicks. Hiccup planted his face on his hand and sighed heavily. "Oh gods..." he groaned, hiding his fond smile behind his hand.

Astrid stepped forward and flicked Tuffnut hard over the head to get him to stop groveling at Hiccup's feet. "If you guys don't stop whining I'll give you a reason to complain..." she warned them half-heartedly, also amused by their antics, though she would never let them know that.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut shared an impish smile then. "But _mother_..!" they both cried, making her jerk back in disturbed shock, earning laughter from them at her reaction.

"It's too early for all of this..." was Snotlout's muffled groaned against the table, trying to hide his own amusement.

Hiccup shook his head and turned to all of them. "So anyway, come on, gang, get up. Today we're going to finish up cleaning debris and hauling the cannon balls to the main Forge. After that we will separate to work on the most heavily damaged areas. You will each be in charge of the surrounding area around your hut, but feel free of course to ask for help if you need it." Hiccup then divvied out specific tasks best suited for each of their skill sets. "Everyone know what to do?" he asked. They gave them their affirmation and after taking a moment to eat, he sent them on their way.

Fortunately for Astrid, Hiccup stuck to his side of the base and worked on his own projects that morning, making the morning, at least for her, go by peacefully. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with him, it was just that if they worked close together at this current point in time, she knew he would make it impossible to concentrate. He wasn't normally like this, not at all, and she knew it was usually her fault when he was, but the times that he was like this, he tended to strive to render her normal thought processes not functional. She knew this reprieve wouldn't last all day, so Astrid took the opportunity given to her to focus on her tasks, repairing what she could, using Stormfly's help, and occasionally flying over to help someone else.

Generally, the morning went by quickly and with little incident.

At one point however, Hookfang decided he wouldn't put up with Snotlout's bossy attitude and lit himself on fire. This wasn't the first time and probably not the last, but this time he managed to accidentally set a pile of broken beams on fire. Astrid and Stormfly had been nearby, helping the twins patch up a hole between their hut and Snotlout's. They all rushed to put the fires out and Stormfly too the opportunity to roar in Hookfang's face, making him duck his head down sheepishly. They finished and took the remaining wood they could salvage down to the dome, setting in on the stone floor. Hookfang didn't set himself on fire the rest of the day.

Lunch rolled around and they all retreated to the clubhouse after a solid morning of work.

Astrid sighed in relief, only having to deal with a fire and literally dragging the twins back to work once, a record! All in all it was a productive start of the day. Astrid had hoped that the rest of the day would go by just as useful, but by the way Hiccup was subtly keeping close to her and giving her knowing looks, she knew it wouldn't be that way that afternoon.

To make matters 'worse', Hiccup had decided to volunteer himself to help Astrid out, so the work went by faster between two of them, _of course_. It had the opposite effect however. He used every opportunity to not so subtly seduce her. He brushed against her, touched her softly, gave her smoldering smiles and was generally just in her personal space the whole time.

Astrid squirmed and blushed the entire time, knowing he was doing this so she was continuously reminded he had his sights on her and wouldn't be letting her go any time soon. She only hoped he didn't keep this up the entire week, or it would just take longer to get through the repair work! Suffice it to say, the afternoon went by a lot tenser than that morning.

By that evening, Astrid was both flustered and agitated. Fortunately Hiccup seemed to have noticed the irritation and kept a bit of distance. During dinner though, Hiccup made sure to at least give her promising looks, and subtly caress her whenever he walked past her. Even with her narrowed eyes at him, he didn't back off completely, letting her know he was determined.

That night, after dinner and after everyone split up for the evening, Hiccup didn't follow her to her hut. Astrid watched curiously as he instead walked calmly to his own hut without even looking back at her. She had to wonder what he was up to, he had said he would be coming for her, so why wasn't he? He didn't even ask her to meet up with him this time. Did he expect her to follow him? But if he did, he usually gave her a hint of some kind. When he didn't do that, it usually was code between them that he needed some time alone for something or other. With all the hints he had been dropping all day it made her suspicious, but maybe he had just been trying to get to her head? In any case, taking that as a cue, she shrugged and made her way to her hut.

Astrid went about her nightly routine as normal, removing her armor, washing up, and stripping down. She didn't always unbind her braid, but tonight she felt like doing so, letting out a pleased sigh as she ran her fingers through her silky hair. When she was done, she spent a few minutes writing her usual letter to her parents and then went to her bed. She sat there a moment and frowned thoughtfully, wondering if Hiccup was going to come for her like he said he would.

Deciding that maybe he really was giving her another night to rest, maybe noticing her fatigue during the day, she laid back onto her bed and pulled her covers up. She let her mind blank and soon found herself drifting off to sleep.

For the most part, Astrid slept peacefully and deeply, not troubled by nightmares this time, nor were her dreams filled with memories of her intimate times with Hiccup... well, not at first. Like many times that week, Astrid's mind decided to mess with her, only this time, her body seemed to be joining in on the torment. Astrid felt as though she were paralyzed, much like she had felt years ago under Freyja's influence, only this time she felt like hands were holding her down.

Astrid twisted in her sleep, moaning softly as she felt fingers very gently trailing over the exposed skin of her thighs, steadily creeping up and dipping between her legs. She whimpered, her dream making her feel the familiar touch of Hiccup's hand, sliding against her folds, his fingers delicately but instantly finding her aching clit. The pleasure was almost real, pounding, hungry, repetitive. The more she writhed and moaned, the more intensely she felt the enslaving pleasure.

"Astrid... wake up, milady..." Astrid heard Hiccup's voice then, only this time she was sure it wasn't in her dreams. "Mmm... wake up, babe..." he moaned in her ear. Astrid opened her eyes and shuddered deeply as rolling pleasure continued to crash through her. It was then she noticed that she hadn't been dreaming at all! Not only that, but the reason she had felt almost paralyzed was because of the compromising position she was currently in.

Hiccup had come for her after all, seemingly in the dead of the night like the damn sex demon he was. He had stripped and climbed into her bed. Without waking her, he had moved her around until she was beneath him, his knees between her legs, keeping them apart, one hand held her wrists pinned above her head and the other was continuously teasing her pussy.

Astrid bit her lip and felt her thighs trembling with every little touch. "H-Hiccup..." she panted weakly, foggy from being half-asleep and deeply drugged from pleasure.

Hiccup gave her a half-lidded, toothy grin. "Good evening, Astrid. You didn't think I forgot about you, did you?" he asked playfully.

"No... I didn't..." Astrid groaned, eyes shutting with desire.

Hiccup smiled a little more softly and leaned down, dipping over her to devour her mouth. "I hope... you had... a chance... to recover..." he mentioned in between sucking, thigh-wetting kisses.

"I recovered... enough..!" Astrid gasped lustfully, shaking a little more as he squeezed down on her clit ever so slightly, teasing the entrance to her soaked pussy.

"Good," was all the one-legged Viking replied before going back to plundering her mouth, his fingers resuming their work between her legs.

Astrid bucked her hips desperately, her chest heaving as she struggled to control her breathing, barely suppressed need making it difficult to think. She tried to get him to relieve the tension, but like the previous night, he held her down with surprising strength and continued to touch her at his leisure. This time Astrid wouldn't remain silent, he hadn't set down rules after all. "Hiccup... Hiccup I _need you_..!" she groaned out.

Hiccup shivered with desire, but continued on sliding his finger back and forth over her clit. "Easy, just lay back and enjoy it..." he suggested, and chuckled at her narrowed eyes, but the axe-wielder wasn't able to hold her playful irritated expression for long.

"Gods damn... you... Hic- _uuuh_..!" Astrid arched back as the symphony of pleasure within her reached the peak of a crescendo. Unfortunately, Hiccup pulled his hand away just before she could start singing. " _Hiccup_..!" She shouted impatiently, worried that he would try to overwhelm her again and not thinking she could stand another night of continuous torment.

"Relax, milady," Hiccup smiled and maneuvered her legs around his hips as best he could with one hand. His hand returned to her then and he watched her twist and whine beneath him, spurting hot and messy onto his fingers. He moaned softly as he worked his fingers deep into her, first two, then a third. He then watched her shatter to pieces, convulsing and shrieking through clenched teeth as her climax slammed her walls shut around his pumping fingers. Just as she reached the peak of her orgasm, Hiccup released her wrists, pulled her legs up against his chest, and rocked himself hard into her.

Astrid arched back further at the exquisite feeling of him filling her suddenly and completely, pushing her hips further into him, letting him squeeze in deeper. She held the bed beneath her tightly, gasping moans tearing from her throat as he began to saw in and out of her. Hiccup panted as he thrust himself up into her, holding himself up on his knees to reach as far within her as he could.

Hiccup began to rock on his knees harder then. "Astrid..." he groaned in rapture, feeling himself swelling turgidly inside her, his hands slid over her legs, gently caressing them for a moment before squeezing them together. Astrid felt him pressing her thighs tightly together as he continued to piston into her and felt every agonizing vibration with ever thrust through her thighs, pushing snugly against her sodden folds. Every little stimulation was like a hot tidal wave shooting through her clit and very soon she found her orgasm spiraling through her rapidly once more, making her writhe and bite down on her lip to keep from waking the island.

Hiccup let her legs slide over his shoulders and he sidled in closer, leaning down so she lifted slightly off the bed, bent over at the hips. Hiccup knew she was flexible, so he didn't worry about hurting her as he leaned in all the way, nearly pressing his chest against her breasts, pushing in deeper and harder while sliding his tongue back into her mouth, muffling her cries. The new position didn't let Astrid help though, frustrating and arousing her like nothing else.

Pinned completely down then, Hiccup let himself lose control, rolling his hips as fast as he could without giving her whiplash, his hands sliding over her heaving breasts to squeeze gently, stimulating her to spill her arousal over his cock again. The punishing rhythm did its job and he soon found himself pulling away from the kiss, choking on his cry as he ejaculated hard.

Astrid moaned breathlessly, twisting to try to squeeze her thighs hard over him, bucking up as much as he could, unable to quite reach that sweet spot, and made only worse when he suddenly stilled over her then. "Hiccup..! Hiccup..! I can't reach m- _aahh_..!" Fortunately Hiccup was already on top of her little problem with the angle, his hand sliding between her folds to quickly and efficiently swipe at her clit until she was shrieking with completion all over again.

Hiccup held them still then, panting softly above her, catching his breath. Astrid continued to shake beneath him, her eyes shut, blissfully welcoming his warm seed deep inside her once more. Hiccup leaned his head down a little to press it against hers tenderly, their eyes fixed on each other as they recovered. As they began to relax then, he finally let her go and settled himself gently against her, still subtly pinning her beneath him. "Hi..." he murmured simply, smiling softly.

Astrid scrunched up her nose in amusement, smiling back at him. "Hey," she answered. "Fancy meeting you here... do you _cum_ here often?" she asked with a devilish grin.

Hiccup threw back his head in laughter. "Yes ma'am!" he answered, his eyes crinkling with mirth.

"What a coincidence, so do I!" She beamed.

They sighed in relief as their lips met again in a slow, gentle kiss, slowing themselves down to enjoy their time with each other. When he pulled away, he rolled them a little so she could rest on his chest. Astrid felt herself drown in his warmth as she always did. "Give me a minute and I'll be good to go," Hiccup mentioned, his words slightly muffled where he rested against her shoulder. Astrid sighed in pleasure, sinking deeper into his embrace and taking the moment to catch her own breath.

Just like she knew would happen, with him being so insatiable lately, they spent most of the night tangled together, locked in heavy, heart-pounding sex, only stopping a few hours before sunrise, just as they had the other night.

The group spent the week cleaning and repairing and every night Hiccup either crawled into her bed, or tugged her into his. Astrid eagerly let him have her, tugging him between her legs, always welcoming him inside her and always asking for more. After two days of continually teasing her until she begged, he stopped doing that so much, figuring she had made it up to him enough. It didn't mean he stopped it all together though, and even if she put on an act of whining and protesting, she never stopped him, both knowing how much she actually loved it.

As the week drew to an end, Dragons Edge slowly but surely began to heal.

That next morning, after all their hard work had finally been completed and Dragon's Edge was no longer falling to pieces, Astrid woke up feeling a now seemingly perpetual ache between her legs. She had gotten used to it by now, and only registered the sweet sweet satisfaction she felt in the mornings. She stretched slightly, groaning a little pleasantly as her muscles eased back into place. This morning she felt a little sweaty, feeling the days becoming hotter. Laying next to a heat source as strong as Hiccup didn't help much in that department, but it was something she was more than willing to put up with. How could such a slender guy generate so much heat though?

Hiccup stirred then, woken up by her movements. "Hey..." he mumbled sleepily. "You okay?" he asked.

Astrid tilted her head to the side in question. "I sure am, why wouldn't I be?"

Hiccup lifted himself slightly to peer down at her. "Well, you've seemed a bit sluggish lately?"

Astrid scoffed and crossed her arms, regarding him with a tolerant look. "How do you think I feel, after having a ridged pole shoved into me every night without stop?" she challenged.

Hiccup laughed nervously. "Uh, sorry..?" he bit out.

Astrid narrowed her eyes, noticing the amusement he badly hid. "Yeah, no you're not..." she drawled. Hiccup didn't say anything to that, only smiled and shrugged a little. Astrid sighed and rested her arm over her eyes. "Well, at least you've been gentle lately..."

Hiccup settled back down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "If you had only given me _something_ during those two months, anything at all, I wouldn't have gone so crazy..." he reminded her.

Astrid snorted softly. "You're _always_ crazy, but that's one of the things I love about you," she grinned.

Hiccup's brow hiked up. "I am, huh?" he questioned, then grinned and rolled over her, straddling her and sliding his hands over her. Astrid quivered at his touch, her body instantly reacting to him, even after a week straight of having him deep inside her. She sighed in defeat, knowing she could never get enough of him anyway, she slid her trembling legs around his hips again. She reached up and tugged him down to kiss her, her breath shaky against his mouth as he slowly began to push into her again.

Suddenly a crash was heard behind them, making them jerk apart with a start. They heard the unmistakable warble and pathetic croon of a hungry dragon, then noticed the black shape near them, tilting its head curiously at them. "Toothless!" Hiccup shouted with frustration. By now they were used to seeing one or more dragon pop in and no longer felt awkward at being naked around then, deciding it was silly to feel that around animals who walked around naked anyway. Toothless ducked his head and crooned again, his eyes wide, trying to give him the most endearing look he could muster. "Ugh..." Hiccup groaned in frustration, unable to stay upset with the Night Fury, then scowled at Astrid when he heard her laughing beneath him.

Astrid was secretly thankful to Toothless. She loved Hiccup with everything she had, and was basically addicted to making love to him, but a girl needed a break every now and then! "Good morning, Toothless!" she said cheerfully, making the dragon perk up with relief that he wasn't in trouble.

"What? No! No! Don't encourage him! He'll never stop interrupting if you do!" Hiccup scolded her, making her shriek with laughter as he tickled her. "I think you're the one who's crazy!" Unfortunately for, in Astrid's opinion, _a cutely pouting_ Hiccup, they could not finish their morning romp and instead got up and reluctantly separated to prepare for the day. It was funny to her how Hiccup could have such mood swings and do a complete three-sixty in a few seconds, from unbearably sexy, to exceedingly adorable.

A bit later, after feeding their dragons, everyone met up at the clubhouse as usual for their morning report. As soon as they settled in, Hiccup noticed how restless they all were, a full week of repair work and cleaning getting to them. "Hiccup! Seriously, give us a break!" Snotlout complained.

"Yeah! It's such a nice day out, we should do something fun!" Ruffnut suggested. "Come on, boss-man!"

"Alright, alright!" Hiccup waved his hands, trying to stop their whining. "You guys worked really hard, I'm proud of all of you," he smiled at them, relieved when they relaxed again. "I think we deserve a good break," he decided, smiling fondly when they all cheered. Hiccup figured they could get back to studying the Dragon Eye and searching the archipelago another time.

"Yes! Beach party!" Ruffnut shouted gleefully.

"Alright!" Tuffnut crowed, and promptly bashed his helmet against his sister's in a 'twin celebration'.

Fishlegs bounced in his seat, also excited over the idea. "That's a great idea!" he agreed cheerfully.

"For once I have to agree!" Snotlout sighed in relief, then grinned mischievously. "Last one to the beach has laundry duty!" he called as he dashed out of the clubhouse to his hut, Hookfang snorting in amusement and hot on his trail.

Astrid remembered this day now and smiled fondly. "Not happening, Snotlout!" she shouted back and sped off.

"No! No! Not again! Not more cleaning! No!" Tuffnut gasped in panic and accidentally collided with his sister in his desperate attempt to go get ready.

Fishlegs groaned in frustration and jogged out. "Snotlout! Stop doing that! No one agreed to those terms!"

At her hut, Astrid wasted no time getting ready, shimming out of her clothes and slipping on her swimcloths. Deciding she was as ready as she would ever be, she called to Stormfly, then hopped on and flew down to the beach.

Just like last time, as she laid out her blanket over the sand, Snotlout landed nearby and made to strut near her like a preening peacock. "Hey babe, like what you see?" he asked with a flirtatious wink.

Astrid crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Snotlout, would you like one of your shoulders dislocated, or both? I'm feeling generous today..." she threatened him. Snotlout cringed and backed away slowly. Astrid shared an amused smile with Hookfang who stood nearby.

That bit of triviality over with for the time being, Astrid slid down onto her blanket and laid back, sighing as she closed her eyes, letting the warm sun soak into her. "Gotta love coconut oil," she murmured, thankful they had coconuts on their island to help keep the sun's dangerous rays from damaging her smooth, silky skin.

Just then she felt a body slump down next to her. "Ugh, boys are so gross," Ruffnut huffed and leaned back on her palms over the blanket.

Before she could go on, Astrid jumped right in, not even bothering to open her eyes. "Oh I completely agree! They're loud and sweaty and... ripe..." she bit her lip in amusement at her choice of word, then sat up to not so subtly glance around her, her eyes instantly locking on to where she knew her lover would be. She watch as Hiccup carelessly rubbed his neck like he had before, the swell of his lithe muscles there bunching with the movement enticingly, sweat sliding over his now tanned, glistening skin. Astrid had to try very hard not to lick her lips.

Gods, once again, even after how much she took him in this past week, how often he delved deep between her folds and made her helplessly cry his name, she wondered how he could still make her want him so badly by just... being there! Then again, maybe it wasn't such a mystery, the reason being, among other things, precisely because he could so very easily make her scream in pleasure. At least she didn't have to go by the 'hands off' rule she had when she was younger this time. Not that he'd even let her at this point.

Ruffnut glanced over at her with amusement, forgetting her complaint over her disgusting brother in favor of teasing her friend. She noticed right where Astrid's eyes were roving, shamelessly at that, not even bothering to hide it this time. "Ripe. Uh huh. Somehow I don't think you mean they stink, not _all_ of them anyway. And by the way, you're staring a little intensely there, at a certain _one-legged_ variety of gross boys..." she leered.

Astrid shrugged dismissively, not even batting an eye. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, Ruff. And if I _was_ staring at anyone, he's there, right in my line of sight, and it's well within my rights to look where I want, is it not?" she challenged with a raised brow, brushing back her golden locks from her face.

Ruffnut snorted and leaned in with a smirk. "Are you admitting _attraction_?" she asked teasingly.

Astrid smirked right back, knowing how the twins knew about them. "I'm not admitting anything. Are _you_?" she shot back, goading her.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "I'm not into Hiccup that way, but I won't deny he's grown up really well from the scrawny little Viking he used to be," she admitted. "He's got goods any healthy Viking woman would be _blind_ not to notice," she very accurately pointed out.

Astrid glanced over to where her friend gestured and this time she let her eyes trace down the swell of his abs, darkened by the enticing hair that thickened as it disappeared under his swimcloth. She remembered at one point keeping him pinned to the bed, blowing on those little hairs and watching him shudder and plead with her. Her eyes kept on going, down to the very enticing bulge in his swimcloth at her leisure.

"Mm," was Astrid's pleased, distracted murmur. "Maybe," she agreed with a barely concealed grin, not even noticing the knowing smirk on her friend's face. Oh yeah, he had goods... and unlike last time, she was intimately familiar with those goods. Yes, she was probably eying him like a piece of meat, but what could she do? It wasn't her fault he was so delectable. Astrid bit her lip, feeling the familiar tingle of desire rush through her, knowing she would have him again that night just made watching him from afar so much sweeter.

Ruffnut saw how Astrid was practically drooling and chuckled. "I take it you two had that... _discussion_? He's been a lot more relaxed lately. He almost has a bounce in his step..." she teased, wagging her brows.

Astrid blinked back to Earth from where her mind was wandering and scoffed, trying to keep her blush off her cheeks. " _Please_ , even if there had been anything, I don't kiss and tell."

Ruffnut smirked once more, knowing very well that she was still denying it. "But there _was_ kissing involved? And lots of it, and in different positions, _right_?" she sneered.

Astrid shuddered from very pleasant memories the teasing inspired. After over a month without any, Hiccup had been insatiable all week and even though it had hurt like a bitch that first night, Freyja had it been amazing. Still, she pulled a face and gave her so called friend an annoyed look. "Don't be a pervert. I'm not telling you anything."

"Oh come on," Ruffnut half laughed, half begged. "You're my only sources of entertainment! I have to live vicariously through someone! And you're like the only one among us getting any! ...Well, you know, except _Hiccup_ too, of course."

Astrid groaned in exasperation and flopped back against the blanket."Ruff! Please cut it out!" Sometimes Astrid preferred it when Ruffnut was acting as clueless and ridiculous as her brother. When you split them up, they were probably even more dangerous and polar opposites. Ruffnut was secretly very observant and obviously the smarter of the two. Astrid sat back up and leaned over on her elbows then, regarding her friend. "Anyway, if you want your own action so bad, there's always Fishlegs, or Snotlout," she snickered. "I bet they're pretty ripe for the picking too!" she laughed.

"Ugh!" Ruffnut cringed, shooting her a glare.

Astrid shrugged at her. "Payback's a bitch." She settled back and let her eyes wander to her lover again, once again very happy she chose Hiccup over all the other boys all those years ago, even if she hadn't had a clue how much he would blossom. Now she could just sit back and watch him be cluelessly tantalizing.

An indignant roar caught her attention and she was once again a witness to a pissed off Toothless angrily chasing Barf and Belch and Hookfang, while Stormfly and Meatlug looked on knowingly, much like their human counterparts often ended up doing at some point during the week.

Most of the morning they all spent relaxing, splashing in the water a little, building sand sculptures, or simply sitting and talking. Hiccup brought out a leather ball they sometimes played games with and kicked in around the sand, competing with each other and reach opposite goals they fastest. None of them were surprised anymore by Hiccup's agility or speed, even if he was missing a leg. Astrid thought that maybe _because_ he was missing a leg, he had trained himself to overcome the handicap and better himself. She wouldn't put it past him at all.

Throughout the entire day, Hiccup took the opportunity to use her attraction to him to stimulate her further, enticing her, but staying just out of reach. At one point, while the others were preoccupied with a game, he stood near her, where she was leaning against a rock, just slightly behind her. Hiccup stepped a little closer to her and blew on her bare shoulder gently. "Astrid..?" he murmured near her ear.

"Hm..?" Astrid questioned, completely distracted by his proximity and heat.

Hiccup nuzzled her slightly, his eyes trained on their friends, making sure no one was watching them. "Tell me how much you want me..?" he asked in a low tone.

Astrid bit back a moan of desire and leaned back a little, trying to get closer to him. "I want you inside me..." she admitted with a sigh.

Hiccup shuddered with desire and blushed at her blunt answer. Still not touching her, he leaned in a little closer. "How much..?"

Astrid smiled a little, tilting her head a little to entice him to kiss her. "All the time..."

Hiccup grinned, letting his fingers ghost over the skin on her hips. "Do you want it now?" he asked in a mixture of lust and curiosity.

Astrid panted a little, feeling the throbbing between her legs increasing, her skin tingling wherever he lightly touched. "We can't... right now..." she answered with a struggle.

Hiccup smiled and shook his head. "I still want an answer..."

Astrid let her eyes shut, giving in to her desire for him. "Yes, I want you _now_ ," she told him. Hiccup then took the opportunity no one was watching to step flush against her, moving his fingers over her, sliding his hand down her belly, over her thighs. Astrid had to brace herself on the rock beside her. Just then he pulled completely away from her, smiling in amusement when she whipped around to him to scowl. "Hiccup..." she growled, half frustrated with him, half playful.

During dinner Hiccup didn't let up, making that night just as intense as it had been for a while. Astrid barely paid any attention to Tuffnut as he told his ghost story, already having heard it. The only thing on her mind was Hiccup sitting next to her, subtly trailing his fingers over the exposed skin of her lower back, teasing her waist-line, dipping a little below her swimcloth, making her more and more aroused by the second.

Astrid squirmed a little, her breathing a little heavy but trying not to attract too much attention. Hiccup then whispers in her ear, words she vaguely remembered. "Will you meet me at my hut..? Join me..?" he asked suggestively.

Astrid remembers him saying something a little similar before, but this time she knew talking was the last thing on his mind. "Of course..." she answered readily, sharing a knowing smile with him while the others were distracted.

Later that night, Astrid crept out of her hut after making sure everyone had retreated to theirs and sneaked over to Hiccup's. As soon as she reached his room, thankful that Hiccup had gotten good at convincing Toothless to spend the night either outside or in the stables, she bit her lip as he approached her with purpose. Astrid let him trap her again, feeling thrilled every time he acted confident and decisive. Hiccup smirked and walked them over to the bed, backing her up against it. Astrid let herself fall over it and reached up for him, helping him crawl onto the bed and straddle her.

They systematically stripped each other, kissing every bit of exposed skin, never getting enough. Astrid quickened their efforts, all but yanking her leggings off, thankfully not having bothered to put on her bindings this time. Hiccup didn't bother removing his pants or prosthetic this time, the days stimulation having affected him just as much as it had her. Astrid lay back then and wrapped her legs around his hips, squeezing down to force him to rock onto her. The grind made them groan in pleasure.

Hiccup settled between her legs more comfortably, wanting to take things a little slower. Astrid waited with bated breath, shaking with desire, but he took his time pleasuring her again, playing her like a musical instrument until she was writhing and moaning beneath him, giving him pleading leaned down to kiss her neck gently, even as his hands sped up, his fingers repeatedly tapping and swirling at her raw sex until she arched back and cried out.

Hiccup took the opportunity like he often did to take advantage, relishing the feeling of her clamping tightly around his cock as he squeezed in. He began to thrust slowly this time, mindful to her soreness she no doubt still had from a week straight of this. Soon however, Astrid became impatient, twisting beneath him, moaning with each slow penetration. "Do you... want more..?" he asked breathlessly.

Astrid could only moan in agreement, her legs tightening around him, her hips lifting up to join his thrusts. Hiccup took that as a yes and began shoving into her, rolling her against the bed, watching with lustful interest as her breasts bounce with his rough thrusts.

They worked themselves into mutual orgasm, spasming and trembling against each other as they let the after-effect wash over them. When they were sufficiently relaxed, Astrid helped him remove his fake leg and pants, then curled up with him. After another moment, Hiccup's hand slid back between her legs. "Are you ready for more..?" he asked with a little grin.

Astrid smiled against him and nodded. "Always," she replied, then lets him roll her onto him. Astrid sighed in relief, thankful he was giving her back control. She eagerly sunk down onto him and rolled her hips, gasping in slight pain and pausing to adjust.

Hiccup gazed up at her half with desire and half with worry. "Are you okay..?" he asked in a strained tone.

As an answer, Astrid began to buck her hips hard and groaned in pain and pleasure, completely distracting Hiccup from his worry. Gripping him tightly, she panted and whined above him, jerking her hips onto him, making him shake and moan beneath her.

Hiccup stayed as still as he could, simply letting her give in to her nature and ride him hard. Every hard jab jostling him within her, making him ache so badly, pleasure heightened by how she moaned gutturally and rocked her body so lustfully into him. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes tight, trying not to go off too soon, to let her enjoy him.

Astrid wasn't making it easy on him however. She worked him hard for a good few minutes but wasn't able to hold her own self off as well as he could, her body locking up tight as she was thrown off the edge. "Hu _unnn_...!" Astrid groaned out, bent over him slightly, little shudders racing up and down her body as she ground herself to a stop.

Hiccup moaned in pleasure and just as she was at the throes of passion again, he grabbed her hips and forced her to keep on rocking against him, not letting her escape like she had done a few times to tease him. Instead, Hiccup kept on thrusting up into her, working her quivering body hard until he join her shortly after, holding her down tightly against his hips as he ejaculated.

Astrid held herself still above him, eyes closed, her hands braced against the bed on either side of his head, shaking with pleasure, relishing the feeling of him hot and throbbing inside her as he finished. When he was done, she let herself collapse atop him, knowing her weight wouldn't faze him.

Hiccup ran his hand through her hair slowly, tenderly. "You know I'm not satisfied quiet yet, right..?" he asked lazily.

Astrid kisses his chest tenderly. "Oh I know, don't you worry about me," she cooed.

Hiccup grinned and wrapped his arms around her, sliding his hands over her, trying to entice her but stayed beneath her. " _Good_..."

They made love the entire night again, but this time didn't stop until morning.

Day broke and they realized they had been going at it the whole night. Astrid nearly laughed out loud at the difference this time. This time they definitely didn't simply sit and talk until the next morning! They settled against the bed then, finally taking a break, simply holding each other. "This is nice..." Astrid hummed, her head resting at the crook of his neck.

"Mm hm," Hiccup agreed. After a few minutes he blinked, suddenly remembering something. "Hey..." he began sleepily. "I wanted to ask earlier yesterday but I forgot. Want to help me map out of the surrounding area? Just you and me?" he asked curiously.

Astrid smiled softly against him. "I'd love to, but maybe the next day... today would be tough doing anything with lack of sleep, don't you think?"

Hiccup chuckled and squeezed her a little. "You're right, it can wait," he sighed contentedly. They stayed tangled for a little longer, but knew they would have to split up for the day, lest someone went looking for them. Hiccup felt her pulling away and groaned in protest, tugging her back.

"Come on, let go, you know I have to leave..." Astrid said gently, leaning over to caress his cheek.

Hiccup leaned into her loving touch, giving her a pleading look. "Don't want to..." he mumbled. Astrid smiled fondly and settled against him, sliding her tongue into his mouth, kissing him with enough enthusiasm to make him go slack beneath her. When she was sure he was sufficiently distracted, she pulled away from him quickly, not letting him catch her. "Hey! That's cheating!" he whined.

Astrid shook her head and smiled at him. "Sorry, babe, a girl needs her rest!" she winked at him, grinning at his pout. Hiccup watched her slip her clothes on with interest, and Astrid tried very hard not to look over to him, draped over his bed completely naked, the blanket just barely covering him. Gods, it was more difficult to leave than she thought! Astrid blew him a kiss then, not daring getting near him, knowing he would try to seduce her to stay, then left in hurry, before she changed her mind.

Astrid made it to her hut and let herself fall into her bed, sighing with relief. She rolled over then and decided a quick nap wouldn't hurt.

* * *

 _ **End A/N:** So much hot sex! Sorry it took a bit to update, got distracted with plans over the weekend, then work and general 'real life' stuff got in the way. Also, what I had left to write was the sexy parts. I've been working on this chapter a bit at work on my phone, but uh... writing smut isn't exactly safe for work, and the stuff I write is very NSFW actually, haha!_

 _Hey I also wanted to ask if anyone noticed in "The Zippleback Experience" how confident Hiccup was that he would hurt Snotlout? He was like "you're going to be sorry" and knew he'd knock him out! I was rewatching that recently and that bit of realization hit me, no pun intended. Like, it was enough that he used his non-dominant hand, but even with that, to also know he could knock Snotlout's lights out? Interesting. That Dreamworks is tricky that._

 _Shout-Outs:_

 _ **LexieFanatic** : Aww thank you! I try!_

 _ **Resisting-Moonlight** : That would be funny, wouldn't it! And yeah, no she wouldn't get any rest if they lived together lol, but neither would he! I think it'd be a mutual sleep deprivation situation._

 _ **Guest** : Thanks! I listened to "Flume - Say it (feat. Tove Lo) (Illenium remix)" and you're right! I can totally see this story in the lyrics! Nice catch! Great song :)_

 _ **SecretShipper04** : I hope I was able to answer your question in the PM I left you! The scene mentioned in chapter 22 was just a memory they shared, not actually part of the story._

 _ **Hiccstrid-OnlyI hate modern** : Maybe I'll do that some day!_


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